Of Man and Beast
by sakurablossomhime
Summary: AU Fantasy filled with Gods and Goddesses, of Fay people, and the mistrust and hardships they must overcome due to the overwhelming destruction that humans are bring about by Deforestation. See your favorite Final Fantasy VII characters as fantasy creatures. Read and see how distrust turns into something else all while they all prepare for a battle for their lives as they know it
1. Chapter 1

Man had become the most brutish creation surpassing that of the oldest, strongest of my kind.

It began as all things do with the passage of time. Seasons changed as the wont to do as did the very nature of humankind. What started as a balanced cohabitation of all of Gaia's creations, quickly gave birth to greed and barren wastelands where life used to thrive for all.

Humans evolved from the simple, nomadic species they were to a force that threatened the whole of the delicate scales of the living. They found a magic that was just as awesome and powerful of any of the incantations that my people could weld and profoundly more treacherous.

They called it technology.

With its invention, great oceans dried up, prairies became dust, and great forest were uprooted and burned away to nothing. In the place of these once majestic places that once was, a large metallic, dark city loomed called Midgar. There, the humans had sent forth several metallic creatures that would level and kill along the way. They didn't know of those they displaced with their practices…those they killed for the sake of forever spreading out like a blacken blight like the soil that surrounded their capital from its taint and pollution of once green and lush land.

It seemed to pull life from the Planet herself, something that greatly affected our race as time went along as we were very much one with the Planet.

To be certain, this was not the only human institution that had be established, but each had a different feel to it. While the humans would hunt the lesser beast of our realm, that was allowed as it was proven it was for their survival: food, clothing, and even shelter from the larger beasts hide to make makeshift homes from the blistering heat to the dropping temperatures that brought with it snow's first fall.

There used to be reverence in the prayers that the humans would often send up to the Gods and Goddesses of the World for their blessings. Some of their elderly still did this practice while their young became brash and unthankful.

With the improper respect of what was being given in water, fruit from bearing trees, and the wildlife that was sacrificed came the beginning of hunting for sport and deforestation though we did not know the terminology, just the desecration after the process. It was a damnable thing, to take a soul for granted. Whether it was a freshly hunted rabbit to a long-standing tree that became firewood or a home for someone. Because we were born of the Planet and felt the connection acutely, it was painful when this sort of sickening practice began.

My father and uncle are the Gods of Creation and Destruction, Life and Rebirth. Vincent and Chaos. They are very old and very wise and had saw these changes in a blink of an eye come upon them.

While there are several types of Fae, my brothers and I were the strongest due to our pedigree. Our mother is the Queen of all Fay, encompassing and having in subjection water, wind, earth, and fire.

Our father and uncle would always warn us not to stray when we were younger though they knew we were indeed strong and noble due to our rearing and more than able to fend for ourselves if need be. My mother had always been strong as well but with the changes in the land, it was found it weakened her. She was a direct scion for Minerva, Goddess of the Planet and she could feel the Planet's pain acutely.

It was the same for my father and my uncle. With the constant influx in souls taken versus being born, this too left a chasm.

Nothing compared to the day the in which I lost my brothers.

The humans had sent forth several metallic creatures that would level all in its way and would kill any that stood against it. They didn't know of those they displaced with their practices, those they killed all for the sake of forever spreading out like a blacken blight like the soil around it from its taint and pollution of once green and lush land.

They besieged our home, our beautiful forest kingdom of Ajitrune. There were five of us, with our mother tending our newest and youngest brother just born. There had already been a great battle some centuries back before the dawn of this technology, those that showed their greed and were sent away. This was nothing like that battle of old.

This time the one that they had made their king or leader, Theodore Shinra, came with more men and more weapons and a slew of metallic creatures mowing everything in their path. We, too, could wield weapons of our own in our elfin forms. My father and uncle proved to be the best marksmen with bows as well as hand to hand combat. I, being the crowned prince was still considered what the humans would think to be a preteen of about 12 summers when I was closer to 500, took to the sword and was an expert with it. My mother was a great Cleric and Mage, having near unlimited power from the Planet itself. The middle boys were younger still being around nine, seven, and five summers in human calculations had not come fully into their own powers yet.

I was tasked to protect my brothers as my mother protected our infant brother. Our father and uncle fought along the leader of the wolf Fae, Cid and his sons Cloud and Zachary with their own weapons of choice of javelin and broadswords as his own mate tried to do the same as my own mother and protect the remaining girl child they had.

Though I tried with my preternatural strength to stave off the wave of men, I screamed for Loz and Kadaj not panic, not to be afraid in their hiding spot I placed them.

They were young, and so was I.

I fought harder than I had ever in my life to save my brothers, but it wasn't to be. The men had spotted us and thought us fair game since we looked to be normal children, that is if normal children had a headful of hair silvery-white and they owned seafoam green cat pupiled eyes.

I was batting away several men from where I had hidden my brothers. I simply turned my head for but a moment…

Both Loz and Kadaj, being the smallest of us were plucked up, their cries for help echoing throughout the forest. Once the men looked upon what they assumed to be normal children, they flinched back at looking upon our unique features.

My father heard them even over the cacophony of guns firing, screams of the enemies…and allies falling to the fight, and the strange whirring of the metallic monsters as they carved great gouges in the land around us. He couldn't get to us fast enough through the throng of people and machines that ruined the only home we'd ever known, and I found I indeed was not strong enough.

My mother howled knowing what was to come but could do nothing, protecting the babe she had in her hands.

With two well-placed cuts to each of my brother's throats, I watched in horror and deep guilt as they knew no more.

Both were dropped before me at my feet as the man with some sort of facial hair and a scar upon his face left. I was numbed. I remember going to my remaining brother, his frame shaking from the scene before him, and him crying silently.

Father and uncle Chaos had come and had reaped vengeance on the one that caused their murders. Despite my father's and uncle's great strength and my own, my father had severely wounded his arm in the skirmish. My mother healed the wounded even as she grieved, including my beloved father. Since that day, he was fitted with a golden gauntlet bound around his left arm, its fingers wickedly sharp talons, all covering his shame of his injury and the failure he felt over his lost sons.

Once it was over and we had pushed back the enemy, nothing remained of our home as we once knew it nor did our lives hold that same peace anymore.

I'd lost my innocence on the day I lost my brothers. I clung to the ideal as it was all I had that I did save Yazoo, my second born brother, and that my mother and infant brother Noctis were safe…but at what cost.

We would have to move on. There was nothing of our lives here anymore, not even comforts of home. My father and Cid of the wolf pack agreed that we should move, to find another forest to reside in and that is what we did. It was long and grim, but we eventually migrated to Nibelheim's forested area and that became our domain going forward.

My father and mother were heartbroken though they never blamed me for my brothers lost lives; I blamed myself. I swore I would get this 'Shinra' back if were the last thing I was to do.

My mother took very hard and was ill from her heartbreak for a time. My father and uncle continued to raise my brother and I and rear Noctis until he grew older. In time, mother did recover from her loss as best as she could. Neither of my parents were ever the same again.

My father's carefree smiles were few and far in between making him more solemn and more serious unless with my mother or uncle where some of his old personality would peak through. My uncle's neutral stance on humans grew to a tempered rage below the surface of all things human. My father and mother would not wage an all-out war though they knew they could and it would be in their right, but they never blamed all of mankind. They knew they could call the Fae of the world and other Gods to their aid in a fight, but they let the matter lie.

I had a hard time with this concept as I had saw all their personalities changed by losing their birth home and their children. When I was roughly 20 summers in human terms, my father stepped down and made me the new King of the Nibel forest. I hated the humans and with my mother nurturing Noctis' natural magical abilities as he was the same age as Loz was when we lost him and with the new responsibilities of being a King, I was wary of all humans close or far. I still would have my retribution from Shinra, especially since the leader also had a son who sought to be as foolish as his father.

While we didn't mingle with the humans, my mother could read minds and current of the Lifestream from which all things came. It kept us all abreast of how the world had changed around us again. We prefer to remain in our animal forms as we roamed about our new kingdom for comfort and for concealing ourselves from humans or hidden within our spelled castle Mahkoreed.

Though in normal terms Zachary and I would be natural enemies given I was a deer spirit and he a wolf, we'd been friends since childhood. Though Zachary was 18 summers, we got along just fine though Cloud and I's relationship was always strained and I am not certain what his issue was. I never did understand Zachary's nature to throw caution to the wind despite his strength and true nature. I contributed it to the fact we both we not socializers, that was all Zachary. The dark haired, violet eyed man always had a smile despite my severe personality at times. I took after father but had the festering anger from my uncle.

When Zachary stated he'd had "befriended" a human, I thought to throttle him within an inch of his life. Did he not remember what had brought us to this new and foreign forest in the first place? He spoke of the man and stated that he was a kind and simple hunter. I had known for months some had been in my forest.

My pupils turned to severe slits at the word 'hunter' as I was in my elfin form, my now long silvery white hair flowing to my knees, seafoam eyes burning a hole into my treacherous friend's face. Zachary knew he'd used the wrong terminology around me. He was fortunate it was not my uncle Chaos or my father that he'd mention this to. The human would be dead despite pleas that this man was like humans were before technology. I simply snorted inelegantly and looked down. I was now the King and it was my duty to protect my brethren from another siege until we were ready, if I were ever to be ready to put my family and allies in harm's way again.

Zachary begged me to just observe the man. I considered this insane request seriously. Maybe he was correct, that this human did practice the ways of old. Maybe, I should have just struck the man down with my Masamune and be done with it. Zachary had been going to the man in his larger than normal Nibel wolf form and the man treated him as a friend and consort. Zachary always seemed to see my thoughts and again begged amnesty for the man and for me to just observe him before acting.

I could say it was all for safety, for my kingdom alone, but I did adopt more than my mien from my mother: her curiosity would be the death of me. I was determined to monitor the man without him even knowing.

This is how I found myself staring out through the dead leafed and snow-covered trees at the large human male that was walking a well-worn path daily without him knowing the wiser.


	2. Chapter 2

I always walked the length of my forest, my kingdom that had been bequeath to me by my parents every day. I greeted the fellow Fae as well as looked over the creatures of my domain, acting as a silent sentinel of protection. As I became more comfortable with Kinghood, I would speak with my father or uncle on matters of the world, as though they were identical, their views were like night and day and served as excellent counsel when wanting a well-rounded answer for the more serious of subjects that plagued me.

I spoke often with Yazoo, keeping him close to me. We both had grown to be young men long after our shared nightmares had ceased occurring nightly of our passed brothers that fateful night so many years gone.

He was now 17 summers and was shaping up to be quite the young man, being able to wield bow and sword alike and it served as a great stress relief when we mock battled. He, too, stood tall with long flowing silvery hair meeting the middle of his back and had the agility that spoke of our nature as he was becoming just a quick and as skilled with his weapon of choice as myself. Even our youngest brother, Noctis, too had come along well even at his tender age the equivalent of eight summers. Though he was small he was proving to be mighty with his unique skills that were developing. His dark hair and ever changing colored eyes made him a beautiful child who was proving to be quick witted and smart. His energy, though never a replacement, had begun to heal the family slowly but surely. Father was even becoming more of himself, his smile now less rare in the presence of the whole family. We knew that Noctis long ago would be doted on if not purely because he looked almost identical to father though he made Yazoo and I spoiled as well for her love of our mother and our resemblance of her.

In either case, I was very proud of my family, which is why I couldn't understand why I had allowed Zachary to attempt me with such a pastime that I always indulged in.

I continued to watched that human come and go as he pleased from his home made of what looked to be tree logs, midway into our forested home. I sought to be infuriated at the sheer amount of the logging that it took to make this 'shelter' for the man, but the constructs size was comparable to a home of one and quickly realized he never used anymore of the trees unless a fire was necessary which it would be in this perpetually frozen weather. The amount he used for the fire were only what he needed solely for himself. I was fully aware the man continued to hunt the smaller, lesser beast of my kingdom which was not sanctioned as even the naturally occurring Nibel wolves and the wolf Fae would feed off the lesser animals. Again, he only hunted for what he needed for himself typically for a night or two but never more than that at a time.

The man confused me truly in his actions though Zachary still advised still to simply observe.

Though I was as a grand beast in my animal form, he'd never saw me though I saw him.

I even saw him when he would interact with his larger than normal "dire wolf" with a coat of all black and sharp violet blue eyes that even the human admitted looked entirely too intelligent for just an animal. Though I remained vigilant and wary of the man, I saw how he interacted with Zachary and despite myself, a small twinge of respect was felt for the man since he did unknowingly acknowledge that Zachary was indeed "smarter than he let on", though, I several days, would question the validity of that statement in private on several occasions of Zachary.

As quickly as my thoughts about the peculiar behavior of the man muddled my mind, I would quickly turn away and resume my duties as King and protector of the realm, swearing I would not be affected by such simple behaviors. I would never allow what happened before to happen again and one man would not sway my thoughts on the issue, no matter if Zachary seemed fine in the league with their enemy or not.

On the continual passing of the winter season, I noticed that another human, a female, would often come to the male's domicile bearing fruits, nuts, and berries…and flowers of every color.

The first time I saw the flowers she'd brought to the man on her first visit that I had been privy to, I felt an anger, a jealousy so deep within me bloom hot. I initially thought to reveal myself and if nothing else glare at her with contempt.

I knew that it was a silly response to something so small and meant as a gift. She had no idea how it triggered me missing the home of my birth.

I had forgotten how such beautiful colors could be produced from the Planet as that was how my old home was: green, lush, and surrounded by myriads of flowers of every kind along with the trees that served as a great canopy against the sky as the defined seasons would occur with no quarrel. Nibelheim was a perpetually cold area that even in its summer season it was not abnormal to still have fresh snow down on the ground.

Before I was even aware, I had moved closer to the structure but out of their line of sight. I could recall that with the introduction of the female name 'Ayr-ith' or something to the nature, the male known as 'Angeal', per Zachary, would exchange his small bounty of meats for the fruits and berries and the flowers.

I idly wondered where the woman was from that she would be able to have such wonders to offer. Seeing those flowers made me nostalgic. Again, I turned away from the scene of them greeting each other unable to understand my conflicted feelings. In my haste to flee this time, a significantly sized twig snapped beneath my heavy cloven hoof. I at once bounded off into the forest, hoping that their greetings and speech would have hidden the small sound and allowed me to get away unnoticed.

If I only would have looked back I would have saw the man looking right in my direction with a look of caution and curiosity deep upon his brow before turning to join the young woman inside the home.

I ran at top speed away from the man and the woman. I wasn't even certain what drove my hoofs to beat so severely against the ground to leave them there in one of many scenes they had shared. After a time, I came to a standstill, the heated air from my lungs coming out in great clouds of steam from my flaring nostrils as I drank more of the cooled air in to calm my beating heart.

What was the matter with me? Why had I done that cowardly action and turned and ran as if as if I were being hunted?

I knew the man was no match for me in either form but something about the thought that I was seen raised my hackles. I felt ashamed and embarrassed for such a weak display that no one was privy to, or so I thought as I seamlessly transformed to my elfin form, my long hair flowing down to the backs of the tops of calves that were caressing my long boots, my head still adorned with a slightly smaller version of my rack of horns I gained after my right of passage, my legs covered in my natural buckskin in this form the color of black of my hide when transformed, as I wore a simple cotton v neck tunic with plait closure.

I began to pace in my spot in my boots that reached to my knees. I barely resisted pulling my hair due to my sheer irritation of the situation. What in the world was I doing here stalking a human? I knew what their kind was capable of, I had lived it. It didn't matter that the man had indeed did as Zachary stated and that I had seen it firsthand over my period of monitoring him.

I was a King of my people and here I was _running_ away from a man that was no competition. For all that I felt so strongly, I knew no matter if he had saw me I wouldn't be able to leave him alone. There was…just something about him that made me want to look in on his life though it would be brief compared to my own. Why did that thought sadden me? I did not know what to do.

These were the times I would seek my father or uncle, or mother out for advice to a quandary.

As if that would go over well. What would I even say? 'Oh, by the way, as I have been protecting our people, I have allowed not one, but two interlopers in our midst. Oh yes, he looks to be peaceable after all I have been taking away from my duties as King to view him daily…' My uncle Chaos may even strike me down as time had tapered his hatred of humans very slightly. Though my parents did not hate them all, they were not overtly fond of them either for good reason.

I sit down on a nearby log and placed my face in my hands. I just couldn't understand why I was so attached to this human, that I had allowed it to get to this point.

I heard him approach and deemed not to look up lest he catch my angst in full effect.

"Hey…are you okay? I saw you leave and… I know I don't have the right to ask you but you are my King and my friend first and foremost, I was worried" Zachary said as he carefully and with respect as he'd also shifted and slightly rubbed his arm in more of a nervous manner.

I could have screamed my frustration to the sky as I lifted my head and accepted that my friend and _subject_ had saw me escape. I kept my face carefully blank and simply dismissed his question with a question of my own.

"Why were you there at all at that place Zachary? You were not at the man's side as you enjoy doing to hunt that I know of though I arrived later than his time of hunting and you neither greeted him" I quickly said and smirked when he looked shocked…and was that embarrassment I saw on his young face?

"I-I had gone to see…the girls, Majesty, well specifically the dark haired one. She has come a few occasions with the man's main female counterpart and I…just cannot leave it alone. I can't bring myself to go around Angeal when either are there but I can't help wanting to see and hear her. I don't know. I want her to come more with the auburn haired one. I just want to get to know her better. I know it is foolish but I-I think I might like her. Please don't tell my father!" Zachary all but pleaded.

I had gone stone still and my brows were in my hairline as I looked at the darker skinned elfin boy in front of me in not short of shock. I wanted to be outraged, to ask him if he was thinking straight, but what leg could I stand on as his King for the example had I been setting? He was more worried about his father's stance on Human-Fae relations… Oh my Goddess Minerva! Had I become so lax he didn't even see my authority anymore because I, for lack of a better word, did the same to the man only not for romantic reasons?

What was my reason for seeking out the man? Though I was well of age, I had never experienced either sex and was intact wholly, either to marry later or simply because I hadn't the urge to mate with another Fae. But was that it really? Preposterous! I would resolve this once and for all.

I could see that Zachary's face was down and pensive but he spoke no more about the subject, his dark tail low and between his legs as his arms were crossed upon his chest covered in a dark furred vest covering his own white tunic and dark black sleek furred kilt. He knew exactly what I had to do.

I slowly shook my head back and forth, my lips in a grim line.

Zachary had a good understanding of what I would do, he was always astute in that way. This madness had to stop and for the sake of my people, my friend. Love, with a human? No. I would have to go and see this man myself, to reveal myself to him, to let it be known I _allow_ for him to survive in my Kingdom of this forest. His response very much depended on his continued existence regardless of his goodly ways.

The dreams always present the same scenario each night I'd lay my head down to rest my weary body, ever since I sensed a presence and saw a hint of black and white a week past in between the trees.

I traverse my well-worn path of trampled down leaves and twigs that winded this way that that through the snow blanketed landscape. I am hunting for dinner, some small game to go with my vegetables making the perfect bachelors meal, perhaps a hardy stew for this staunch cold weather. I hear rustling, rather a snapping of twigs and I am stopped in my path.

Before me stands a grand buck with black and white hide, all muscle and sinew rippling from simple movements eclipsing the afternoon lighting creating almost a halo around it, its breath coming out in swirls of steam from its nostrils upon the narrow trail. The creature is massive, standing at 6ft with a massive rack of antlers upon his head looking more a crown upon its head than simple bony growths.

It's the eyes that are beautiful and haunting at the same time. From the proud male deer's beautifully sculpted face…seafoam green eyes produce an unnatural yet hauntingly beautiful inner light. I should be afraid of such an abnormal yet unearthly sight, but again I know it to be only a dream. We stare at each other for a period, equally seemingly wary of each other's next action. I have no want to ever hunt something so beautiful and so at home in this place and never have.

Something strikes me unusual. There is a great intellect in those eyes not unlike the feeling I have had when I have been in the Dire wolf's presence for the last two and a half months. It is as if the creature knows me and is judging me or contemplating what to do next. As always, before I can take a step up to this wonderment, the male turns and bounds away before I can utter a word.

I am left jolted awake trying to reign my sense of reality back in from the dream.

This has marked the full week in which I have had these intense, lucid dreams. I am always aware of what they are but I am not certain as to why now it was occurring. I surely was no game hunter for sport. I had been reared that no honor came from wasting precious life if it was not solely for need and even then, proper dutiful thanks was to be given to Minerva, Goddess of all things and physical manifestation of the Planet itself.

I told myself maybe I was having the odd dreams as this week marked my anniversary of true freedom eight years prior. I had been blessed to get away with my sanity and my life from those that would watch the world burn simply for the all-powerful creature that was Greed. I had lost friends to it. I had lost my brother from it.

In my fight and flee, I had gained allies that I could trust. While I mourned my hometown of Banora, its warm, fresh breezes in the spring carrying the smells of budding and flowering fruit trees like the Dumbapple trees, I had become comfortable over time in the wilderness of Nibelheim as well. Sure, I could live in the town directly but something about being submersed in nature every day, waking to the crisp smelling mountain air as it flowed down and through the barren yet snow covered trees was also a blessing as well.

I pulled myself up from under the covers, the thick blanket and under bedding sliding down my chest letting the slight chill of morning caress my broad chest and shoulders. I glance out the window in my room that was partially opaque from new snow fall. I can see that now the sun is rising steadily, the sky from my vantage point in between the trees, is clear and bright even for a cool day. I turn and exit from the bed, quickly slipping on my insulated house shoes that were a gift to combat "frostbite toes" as my friend Aerith would say.

Aerith. She had served as an excellent friend after all that had happened to the both of us.

I gather up the warm robe by my bed and quickly fasten it making my way to the restroom to start the day but not before quickly stoking the fire to keep a nice temperature inside the home.

Once that is sorted, I remove my robe and sleep attire from the night to have a nice, warm shower. I glance into the mirror over my vanity and see my black hair, though past my ears, falls neatly slicked slightly back, following the path of how it grew and spiking slightly at the ends. I rub a large and calloused hand along my chinbone, admiring my stubble that fringes it. The warm water beating along my back feels excellent, loosing knots from hauling firewood or simply the small twinges of mortality in the flesh that happen from time to time.

I quick dry myself and instead of wrapping the robe around me this time, I simply walk back out to my room and search for another pair of warm clothing for the day. Once dressed in with a simple blue and black plaid shirt with white under shirt serving as more insulation, I slid into my equally insulated jeans on and tucked in the shirt. With my belt in place and buckled, I sit at the bottom of my bed placing my feet into the dark brown steel toe boots, securing them in place firmly. I go to the mirror on my dresser checking my overall view when my eyes land on a lone picture on the dresser next to a vase of flowers that had been brought for me for the week.

The photo captured my brother and I smiling, both of us dressed close to what I had on now only my brother had always favored green, as green as his own blue green eyes to match that mop of shocking red hair that always matched his street smart, rough and rowdy personality that used to glow so brightly. I felt something in my chest twist looking deeper at the picture. We had been only young men and had no idea that things would end the way they had. What did backwater kids know about corporate gluttony? While others could fully get over their loss of a loved one, how did one move on if that one was still _alive_ yet dead to you?

I delved deeper in my memories. We had needed the money as there weren't much jobs in Banora. A foreman had come from the city, Midgar, looking for young men and women who wanted to be a part of something more, he said to help "build towns and cities everyone could believe in". The foreman oddly wasn't that much older than we were and certainly didn't look it, his dark slanted eyes holding a cool indifference as he wore a suit that commanded some semblance of respect. We were respectively eighteen and twenty years of age. He was barely a man and he…well he had always had big dreams so this seemed to be our way out of our no name town and on to bigger and better things. I had always had the "poor but happy mentality", Genesis didn't echo those sentiments.

I never knew that "bigger and better things" entailed the sheer raping of the Planet for one corporation's benefit and gain. We couldn't have known the machinations of what was truly being done. One by one natural resources were depleted. Full forest was completely mowed down for absolutely no reason other than manufacturing and building big and gaudier homes within the one city. No other town or city behaved as Midgar did. The ground... it was blackened like the sooty smog that would rise from the factories that were installed all over it. The city was also not what it was cracked up to be.

There was a severe chasm between classes of rich and poor. I saw it and I started to pull away as soon as I realized what was transpiring…he decided to go with the plans of the company. The money was too good. We often hung out with each other after working hours. The main wrecking crew that seemed to directly report to the President, was called the "Turks" as a joke. It was comprised of Rude and Reno, a young woman our age that began dating my brother named Elena, Verdot or Veld, and the foreman that had come some years' prior, Xi Tseng, Tseng his preferred way of being greeted. It was quickly revealed that they were under the President…because they would often go into areas where there would be push back against deforestation or Lifestream digging for energy in the form of reactors…and they would often push pack violently to get the President's way for struggles for land.

Tseng at the time was married to a young woman that would become my friend and confidant, Aerith. When we would meet after work, we often would talk about all subjects. After getting to know Aerith better, we often spoke of subjects that none of the others would be interested in talking about. She was a very devout believer in Minerva and had always been. We talked about everything from how she had had a gift of sorts. She had what seemed to be of one of the remaining few family lines that held Ancient's blood, every human's ancestor. It was watered down severely but still received blessings from it. Her family had been blessed with having extraordinary green thumbs even in the harshest of terrain because of it. They would always be blessed with fruits and vegetables in flourishing gardens, and an assortment of flowers which was a lost beauty with the city walls.

As our friendship further progressed, I found that Tseng was not a kind man to her. I had no plans for her but I certainly would not have a man being verbally and sometimes even physically violent towards her. She would take it all in stride like most women with husbands of prestige but after she constantly saw the sadden face had at how she would just discard the damage done to her regularly as a passing whim, she finally cracked. We were outside and I was discontent in what we continued to do. Genesis had been moved to the foreman's right-hand man. He was slowly but surely getting that attention he always wanted, even on the backs of innocent souls: people, animals, and flora.

I had finally decided that I would leave; that after this last forced gig, I would take my earnings and I would go far, far away from all of this and never return. I had no set place I was to go but I knew that I would. I had seen people drug from their homes who couldn't be underbought for their land their ancestral homes rested on, beautiful pictures of nature now brown and dead from being stripped of the Lifestream that sustained it.

On Aerith's and I's last conversation, she had decided to follow wherever I roamed as well to escape an abusive husband and the blasphemy she had to witness to her faith via the violence and constant razing of the land. She had decided, with great difficulty, that it would be better to leave as an ex-wife than to stay and pretend that her life was normal and that she was truly loved. Tseng didn't put up a fight when the divorce was presented. He'd thought that Aerith and I were in a relationship and as such, justified his own hidden infidelity. The reality of why he didn't care was more hurtful than never knowing. Tseng had been involved with his subordinate Elena a great part of their marriage and had used Aerith as a front of a normal family man, especially since dalliances were supposedly not acceptable in the workplace.

As I tried to help Aerith with preparing to move, going where we would, when I found out that my own brother had moved on in a relationship as well …with Rufus Shinra himself. It explained a lot; why Genesis was so blind to the evils of the company. He was bedding the head of the corporation and felt no remorse if he was being lavished with gifts and blood money from those that suffered at the hands of Shinra Corporation. This also allowed him to be second in command of the company. Genesis had found his attention seeking limelight despite how we'd both been raised.

I had just one more task and my contract could be dissolved and while I knew the money would not ever be worth it, it would at least let me leave this. If I only I would just take what I had then, I could have spared myself the nightmares I would have from this one allegedly simple mission.

I remember it acutely. There was a beautiful forest not too far from Midgar. I remember that Aerith and I would talk often about it. She stated due to her sensitivity, she felt that the forest…was holy. She could never describe the feeling, only that is was a gentle and powerful feeling that would emanate from the forested area. Seeing how she'd been able to grow flowers and produce as no others could from the barren ground that was Midgar, I never questioned her.

We were told to mow it down; that it was blocking the way for plans for trading roads from the lesser towns and to and from to the chocobo ranch. How pitiful a reason to abolish something truly beautiful? I pleaded again with Genesis to help Rufus, the now young President, to see. We ended up splitting after a bitter argument, his words tumbling around in my head.

 _Of course, you still cling to our hill folk ways when there is so much more than that to this world before us. You can't see Rufus's goals for the company, you've lost your sight. Rufus was right, you are simple and quaint I am ashamed to be your brother. Besides, so what, it is just a patch of trees. The world is mankind's stage…_

The words stung like a slap to the face and as solid as a punch to the gut. It hurt. It hurt more than I thought it would to know that he would cast aside our deceased father and mother's wisdom for coin and prestige. There was a line drawn and we were on either side of the line as now enemies. I cried I admit, pride aside, when I saw what I was going to have to do. I was now alone in a world where suffering and greed reigned with my friend.

As soon as I had entered that forest, I just somehow knew that Aerith had been right, that looks about this forest were deceiving. We drove our mechanical equipment up on the border of it while several went in and started marking the trees to be shorn down. I simply took in the scenery. The way the trees melded in places, twisting and turning, it looked like a grand cathedral if one was looking through eyes of appreciation. The machines rumbled in the distance as they began coming in by the rest as I walked further into the forest. I remember as two of my colleagues worked and began to chainsaw down the trees, there was a blur of red, black, and gold to my left and I realized a man seeming no more than mid-twenties in age had bound from somewhere high. I had no idea people had fled Midgar to the forest.

That didn't quite seem right though as I looked at him in curiosity…and a healthy fear.

I do not know what made me stand stock still and do nothing as this man with _blood red_ eyes, pale skin on an almost androgynous face framed in long, black wild hair stared impassively at me less than a foot away as if he were waiting. I took in his whole appearance. There seemed to be a crossbow in the other's left hand as the male was in almost total black buckskin besides a crimson cowl of some sort he wore. Another male, identical to this one in looks, twins I idly thought, dressed slightly different, stared at the first male with what seemed to be an intricate longbow in his hands and then gently stated something in a foreign language.

Before I could say anything to either, all hell had broken loose.

My men were now in the forest at large and the machines taking out trees as they came. The two men seemed to vanish, moving what seemed unreal speeds towards the band of men in the forest. I went deeper still inside. I came to a small clearing that I instinctively knew had been something more than just a hollowed-out tree. As I was coming up to the area, I saw what seemed to be children hiding in the tree. They were a unique sight: hair not white-blonde but truly a silver color and intense seafoam eyes caught in the rays of light slipping through the trees. To the left, there stood another child, this one a bit older, maybe a preteen and much like the other men I'd saw before, it looked androgynous with long silvery hair swaying along with what I believed to be a boy's back, as he wielded a sword almost as tall as he was yet thin, and he did it very well, almost expertly. It seemed that he was trying to protect the others in the nook of tree, siblings perhaps.

I did not have my broadsword and I sorely wished I had for what was about to occur.

Several of my men, and now some of the grunts from the military had been called in much to my surprise. Apparently, what we were fighting was enough to warrant this kind of manpower and I didn't doubt it taking in the swift moves of the younger boy in front of me. That's when I saw it. The youngest two began to panic and with their noise, two of the men from Rufus's personal team of psychos, or the Turks, Veld and Rod, had come and snatched up those two children and I went to bound up, to do something, I didn't know what. Before I could even get to them, I saw the men jerk away as if burned upon looking at the children full on. There behind them as the boy still fought with his sword, he called out in a language that was not common, the men had snatched up knives and with quick movements under their necks, had ended them right before my eyes. I ran behind a tree and crouched low covering my own mouth, afraid of the choking cry I wanted to release at the scene.

The older boy wailed out his sorrow as only one child remained hidden in the tree, even from where I stooped I could see him shaking as both the children looked on at their dead family. The eldest ferociously slaughtered those in his way, no doubt out of grief and went to his other sibling in the tree beginning to hold him and rock him as they both couldn't take their eyes off their family laying there broken and still. Within a few minutes, the man in the crimson cowl seemed to land among the scene. The culprits for the children's murder were still by and he dropped them like so much refuse, their screams echoing in the forest. I simply shuddered. I wanted to feel fear but I only strangely felt vindication for the children.

Once he came back, he gripped his left arm, no doubt wounded grievously, and woodenly walked over to the two fallen children on the forest floor, knees giving way as he reached them to slowly rub his pale hand along the smallest of the children's face and along the slightly older ones stilled chest, the eyes of both had closed in death. The man looked upon the remaining children and back to the fallen ones, his head bowed low and I could see his shoulders quake with the tears he no doubt shed. The man threw his head back and screamed out his rage and in his pain punched the ground with his remaining fist, debris and leaves scattering from the impact, as he openly wept.

I had gathered long before that this was a very painful and private scene, one rifted with the anguish of a father for his slaughtered children. No longer than a few minutes later, the other twin appeared carrying a beautiful woman with hair bound into a long tail of chestnut brown hair, flowing white material along her body as she also carried a smaller burden in her hands. It was another child. The identical twin male placed her down by the other children and the twin went to grieving male and he bent to his brother's side, wrapping an arm around him to brace him, also taking in the carnage as the woman, no doubt the mother of the children, checked over the eldest son and the other child even as she cried and they hugged her tightly even as she held another of their siblings.

I fell to my bottom at this poignant moment as I scrambled to get away. I knew that I would be heard and honestly, I didn't know if I would make it out alive at this point. I saw the twin men look in my direction as a ran out of the forest for my life, and for my sanity.

In my haste to leave, I didn't see the fawn that laid where the children used to be nor did I see the large white-gold Dire wolf with its own pups heading in the direction of the family gathered. I was in total shock. Sure, I had seen people uprooted and that was cruel, but killing innocent children?

As I ran to the entry of what remained of the forest that now was all but gone and on fire in some places, I didn't even feel the tears as they streamed from my eyes.

After stepping back out into the plains, then and only then did I take in all the damage that had been done.

The forest was all but gone but also the machines brought had been…eviscerated. It was surreal. I felt like screaming and crying at the same time. I looked around and no one remained, as if everyone was either afraid, or if what that child swordsman had done was that proficient, they were most likely dead.

I fell to my knees touching the solid bare soil and I vomited for all I had witnessed and my uneasy nerves.

I remember going to the chocobo ranch by foot, renting a chocobo and simply sitting and staring at the sad remains of that once glorious forest feeling as if we as humanity had ruined something so reverent in that one instance. I came straight home and it was all over the news. Some group of radicals had taken out all the crew and seriously wounded several members of the Turks, including murdering its current foreman, Tseng.

Of course, Genesis had easily taken over the post as if nothing had ever happened. I went straight to Aerith's home. She was of course upset and there were tears for the few good memories she had had but also because she was truly free, freer than even the divorce would have granted her. Since Tseng was still married to her at the time of his death, she was granted his life insurance and other benefits. She wouldn't have to strike out as a pauper. With everything packed, we waited until all paperwork was finalized due to Tseng's death and then we struck out in an old pickup driving where we willed.

We travelled a time but just couldn't find a place that we could call home. One of Aerith's true friends, Tifa, had invited her to come and live with her in Nibelheim. She had said it was cold there but the people were warm. Aerith did settle with Tifa and her half-sister Yuffie, in her three-bedroom home and aided Tifa in her local bar for nothing more than to ward away boredom. I tried to live in town but it just didn't fit me. Since I had saw what I did, I felt compelled to live in the forest, even if they were night and day due to the climate. After asking around I found that there was a cabin for rent in the mountain path. With my saved earnings, I purchased it and several supplies to make it hospitable and modernized with inside plumbing and heated water for showers. I settled in and became a handyman for the town when there were issues to arise, making my living that way.

Aerith visited regularly and found that she could still grow any plants she wanted, even inside her home and so she did in a greenhouse that if not her being involved would have been laughable. She provided me fruits and vegetables to my hunts for meat.

I suddenly came back to myself, shaking my head and freeing myself of the spell the picture had placed on me, realizing that I had relived all my past leading to now in a span of minutes, seconds. I placed the picture face down for the time being and walked into my kitchen to prepare breakfast for myself. I sit at my table and think of all I would do for the day. As I drank my coffee, I heard a scratching and butting at my front door. Opening it, I was bound and upon by the wily dire wolf I had befriended. I welcomed him in and closed the door behind us. I turned away from the wolf and made polite chatter with him, thinking nothing of it…until I was answered. I whipped around so fast, my blue eyes no doubt showing the white as where I had left the wolf…stood what looked to be a young man.

He simply put his hands up palms first in a sign of peace and smiled serenely further making me think I had went mad due to my earlier musing.

"For the record, my name is Zachary, Zachary Fair of Cloudy Wolf, a tribe of Fae wolves. It's nice to meet you in the flesh" he said with a laugh in his voice and arms crossed his chest loosely, violet eyes slightly glowing, longer black spiked hair swaying with his shifting down his back…as did his midnight black wolf's tail. "I'm sure you have questions, let's start from the beginning" he stated as I numbly invited him to sit on the couch and I just fell into my chair in shock.


	3. Chapter 3

I was so livid at myself. I paced the expanse of my room, the walls hiding my irritation and confusion as it reached all-time high. Why could I not face that human? He was just one human. Why did it seem so difficult to just talk to him and let him know…know what that I had been watching everything that had been occurring in his life for a significant time? I was the King of this forest and had been for quite some time. Why did I shy away from was my right to educate him that he owed me for his peaceful existence that was borrowed? That awful arrogant of me, but why should I care how Angeal received the message that would be the truth of the matter.

I froze my booted steps back and forth across my chamber. Since when did I call this…this man by his name so freely?

I could feel my magic as it ebbed and flowed throughout my veins, building until it was all encompassing as I walked in my elfin skin. I knew I had to calm myself or risk alerting my parents and uncle that I was in distress. Hnn, distress I murmured to myself, surely looking like a loon for my behaviors. I was certain if I were to view a pool of water, my eyes would reflect my mood quite clearly as they had always in the past, appearing deep mint color, perhaps even glowing with my Fae powers with my ire.

I began to take deep breaths and sat at the side of my four-poster bed, willing myself calm and allowing my mind to wander.

My mother had always said that my eyes were the key to my innermost emotions. She stated it used to be the only way she could tell truly what I was feeling initially until there were other things that would tip her off in my mannerisms. I took after Father in that aspect I supposed, as his own had a habit of being the same way. My brothers were too, different in their handling. Yazoo was even quieter than I, though I suspect that a lot of his personality was formed the day he witnessed our brother's death. His personality and way of being resonated more with mother in her ways. While he was quiet, he had never been the child he was before after that. There used to be a bit more bite to him that now came out in the most opportune moments, especially when sparring. Noctis I could swear had been born of my uncle in how his personality handled. Yes, he had moments of brooding but for the most part he was all quips and snarky, but nonetheless he was a bright child that I wouldn't change for the world.

Where my Father was more reserved, my Uncle excelled at his flamboyant ways and was unapologetic for it.

They were like Ying and Yang. They were in sync though, as if they were the same person that long ago was torn asunder into two. For the boisterousness and brashness Chaos had, serene and calculating was my father Vincent. My mother's personality was an even mixture of the both. She was intelligent of the world and its creations, having seen and heard a many of things, especially since she could touch minds and connect to the flow of Gaia. I had a lot of her aspects as well. While I couldn't fully touch a person's mind, mine manifested in matters of the heart. As my thoughts traitorously went back to the man named Angeal and even his…partners Ary-ith and the occasional Tee-fa, I wondered if that was what drew me to them… to him.

I heaved a great sigh and pulled my long and weighted silver hair over my shoulder and toyed with the ends of it as it spread around me. I needed to talk to someone and of all the personalities, I felt that maybe mother would be best suited. Father would no doubt kill the man in his fear of a repeat of before and my uncle simply had no love lost on humans since the two battles and the wounding of his twin, the fact they had dared. Mother would not be pleased either but if I could somehow mask whom I spoke of in my words, I would be able to get the advice I sought, even mislead her mind reading as I had several times before even as a boy. With my resolve decided, I sought out my mother.

They sat staring at each other across a small coffee table for longer than comfortable moment. Zach though he'd broken the man's brain with the knowledge of what his true form was. Suddenly Zach waved his hand back and forth in front of Angeal's face, greatly startling the man initially.

"Hello, are you okay? I didn't…I mean I wanted you to see me for me. You were always right about their being more to me… the intelligence bit" Zach said as he eased back on the couch and looked at the man with a soft apologetic smile.

"How…what are you exactly?" the other man stammered out but instead of just straight fear and confusion, there was now at least curiosity there as well.

Zach excused the man for his borderline rude question, knowing the man was shaken and answered again nonetheless.

"Have you ever heard tales of the spirits of nature, perhaps Goddesses and Gods? I am a wolf Fae, a type of forest spirit. I have two forms of course, this being my main when I am not on the prowl" Zach said cheerfully and proud.

Angeal blinked slowly at the other male.

It was a lot to take in but at the same time, Zachary…Zach was right. He had just known that something was different about the dire wolf, especially its size. Despite his doubt, he had befriended the wolf that strangely enough was amicable. They had gone on hunts together and he had even served as a quiet companion on days that the hardest for Angeal, unbeknownst to Zach.

Birthdays and old celebrations he and his brother used to celebrate together were painful. Just having someone besides Aerith and Tifa was welcomed, even if it wasn't a human presence. Zach quickly rose from the couch and came to crouch by Angeal.

"Hey man, it is still me. I am the one that you talked to and hunted with. I am the one that you have confided in and your secrets and hurt will always be safe with me" Zach said as in one fluid motion, he was yet again the dire wolf that Angeal had come to care for a great deal. Zachary looked up with those same violet blue eyes and whined coming up on his hind, placing his great paws on the edge of Angeal's chair.

Angeal stared again at the wolf, his mind full of questions. Of course, he had heard of the Fae of the world that acted as the servants of the Goddess Minerva. They had been part of Genesis and Angeal's faith and many of his ethics in life reflected it. With a steady hand, he ran his hand through the soft, sleek fur along Zach's head and back, Zach closing his eyes in appreciation and taking the move as accepting his nature.

Zach pulled away once more and with the same seamless practice, was the young youth before Angeal again and plopped down on the couch, the tension abated once more. Zach fidgeted wondering how task the question he sought while Angeal fought for the same and spoke.

"Are there more of your kind? Are all the inhabitants in this forest…Fae?" Angeal asked carefully thinking back on the hunts they had taken.

Zach understood what the man was say without saying it outright.

"Yes, there are more Fae in this very forest. I have a brother, a fraternal twin and my father who too are wolf Fae. There also resides two Gods, the Queen of all Fae joined in union to one of the Gods and the newly minted King of the Fae who is their son and is my childhood friend. Don't worry we didn't partake of Fae flesh. Trust me, they are more than aware of your presence in this forest as it is the King's domain."

Angeal relaxed even more but the thought that such powerful entities existed around him. He instead of feeling anxious, felt extremely humbled to be in the presence of such power, even Zachary's.

Zachary idly wondered if he had given too much away knowing how Sephiroth had been eyeing the man before him almost obsessively. Too bad commonsense was not a given in all Fae.

"So, I do have to be forthright. I wanted you to see me for me because I felt I owed it to you but…", Zach stated rubbing the back of his neck with a coquettish smile on his face. "I definitely enjoy our time together, could you please tell me about your other female counterpart that comes and goes…the dark haired, red eyed one?" he said in one breath almost, hoping that he wasn't blushing.

Angeal looked confused for a moment, the excitement and awe of the situation dulling him slightly of what Zach meant, knowing that he had been celibate since his early teens. There hadn't been much in the way of entertainment and he blamed his brother for the bad association for him starting his sexual life at sixteen years of age. He hadn't had the company of a female or male in over eight years, since he'd left Shinra. Finally, the answer hit him right smack between the eyes.

"Are you talking about Tifa perhaps?" Angeal stroked his lightly stubble covered chin looking up questioningly.

"Tee-fa? Is that her name?" Zach said with a look of whimsy in his eyes.

The pronunciation was different, not quite wrong based on Zach's accent that Angeal picked up.

"Why do you ask? You have saw her and I noticed that you are usually absent when she comes. Do you watch from afar?" Angeal asked, certain he knew the answer. The other man squirmed in place to be put on the spot.

"Yes, I have viewed her from afar and typically do not come around when she is visiting. Is she your female? I am not certain why I am even asking really, I apologize if I have mistaken the situation. Typically, in our pack, the male is bonded to the male for life. It seems odd that she comes and goes. She is very pretty though." Zach said in one large sentence, giving away his intentions in those five little words at the end.

Angeal simply laughed lightly at the young man's antics, causing the other to pout slightly, his head turned at an angle that an inquisitive dog would. He was certain now why Zach stayed distance and why he was so curious about Aerith.

"No. Aerith is simply a friend, another that escaped a terrible situation that we both bonded _as friends_ over. We are nothing more. I take it that you like her? Wouldn't she be a little too old for you though? She is twenty-five years old and you look barely eighteen" Angeal teased.

Zach mulled the words over in his mind and came back with wolfish grin at the information give.

"I will have you know that though I look eighteen, what was your term "years", I am 508 summers old," to which Angeal openly gapped at his new found elfin friend. "I have many, many more years yet to go, even another growth period before I am completely considered an adult by my kind. You will find I am the eldest. Now, come tell me about your histories please, I am curious of the troubles that caused you to end up here" Zach said sincerely.

Angeal at the boy…well, man and felt like he could talk to him. He had been his loyal companion for well over five months now so Angeal took his offer and began his tale.

Sephiroth quickly past into the hallway seeking the antechamber where he knew his mother would be possibly communing with the Planet. He walked with sure and precise steps though his mind and heart were in a whirl of emotions. He knew he'd have to calm himself or his mother would see right through his ruse. With a firm push of the doors leading to the chamber, he walked directly into the room, his eyes landing on his mother in all her ethereal glory and splendor as she indeed communicated with the Planet, the very glow of its essence around her form like tendrils of green, the same color as her, his brother, and his own eyes at the peak of their power.

He quickly sorts himself and walk towards his mother on the dais.

"Hello my beloved eldest child. How are you fairing today?" Lucrecia asked first, causing Sephiroth to slightly pause in his steps. He mentally cursed himself for his first mistake of this meeting but was determined to see it through. He had to know what these emotions were that he was feeling, even it was at the expense of another's likeness that was not causing the strife.

"Mother, I have come to seek your counsel. You have always excelled in matters of the mind and heart and I seek your guidance in a matter I have found myself losing a great many of moments to it. I am confused by these feelings that I have in regards to another" Sephiroth's low timbre voice answered. he was acutely aware of his mother's gentle caress of her powers along his mind, warm and gentle, as it sought out the emotions that were offending her son.

Sephiroth had never been so on edge to have his mother prod his mind, hoping that his constructed walls held away the information that he would not, could not share, even with her. He knew he could superimpose the emotions to his friend's visage to get his point across.

"I have been…disquieted about my feelings for one I have known for some time now. I find myself searching him out daily, even as I maintain my kingdom. I find that I…enjoy watching him, the other is not aware of my thoughts or even my actions. I am aware of his kin that also comes and goes, but I only have my sights for him. I find that I am distressed if I miss a chance to see him as it feels like I may have missed something great and wonderful in those few moments of his life I was away. I have never let on that I felt this way and it is very perplexing" Sephiroth said with his brows drawn together in a quizzical manner.

Sephiroth could feel as his mother withdrew from his mind and silently hoped the projected form of Zachary would throw her off the other dark haired, blue eyed human male he spoke about. There was no question in his sexuality as most of the Fae were pansexual and the males were made unique in a way to continue their lineage, even if with a male.

Lucrecia simply laughed a small laugh that she covered her mouth with her tiny hand as she looked on at her truly confused firstborn. Sephiroth was showing signs of loving someone and he wasn't even aware. She would have to tease Vincent about just how much their child took after him. Vincent had also been clueless once in his feelings for her many, many eons ago. She quickly shook the thought from her head and she had saw that Sephiroth was looking severe as he always did when he was worried that the information was grim.

"Child, you are simply coming into your adulthood and with it you are beginning to show signs of love for another. I do caution you," to which Sephiroth did not so much as take a breath, thinking that she had saw through his ruse.

"It would be best to let the one you have begun to care about greatly know so that you may begin to cultivate a deeper bond" she said. After she was finished, Sephiroth bowed to his mother in reverence and turned to trek back to the side of the one he'd watched for months.

As the door closed firmly behind him, he did not see his mother's sad smile for her child…that had fallen for a human. She had saw it from the Minerva herself months before Sephiroth had even stepped into her chamber. She could only hope that the Goddess was correct in this being all part of a bigger fate that would eradicate the irrevocable pain and harm that had been done to her family prior.

As soon as Sephiroth felt the fresh air on his face, he shifted and ran among the trees to get to the dwelling he had come to know as well any of his land. As he reached the path he saw something that he thought he would never in all his years. His childhood friend had emerged from the man's home…in his elfin form! Did Zachary have no respect for the crown simply based on their friendship? Sephiroth could no longer hide among the scenery and burst through the tree line, directly in front of his friend and the man Angeal standing on the porch, his eyes no doubt glowing with his unbridled anger and power combined.

Zach immediately reverted to his wolf's form and began to lower his head, going so far as to flip over and bear his belly in what even Angeal knew to be submission. He knew that Sephiroth would be livid but the man was more than what he seemed as was the young woman Ary-ith, even her friend Tifa as well seem to bear more merit than originally thought. He had to get Sephiroth to see that without be gored to death by his King for directly going against his people and his King by showing his true form to a human.

Angeal took a step back, stumbling slightly against the door jam in shock.

It was the buck from his reoccurring dreams down to the coloring and magnificent size and glory. The buck paid no attention for the time being to the man but those eyes, much like Zach's were full of intelligence, and at the time anger as real is if it was a human in front of him. By the way that Zach had prostrated himself immediately, his elfin form had been taboo to show to a human and this creature was of great power.

So, lost was Sephiroth in his rage, that he was not aware that the man had been studying his form in detail and surprisingly without fear. If anything, the human seemed…in awe and shock, as if his form was something he was familiar with.

After an exchange, most likely telepathically, Zach looked back at Angeal with his ears lowered and broke into a run deeper into the forest.

This left Angeal to openly appraise Sephiroth in his buck form, and Sephiroth to look at the man as well. It was a fair moment of assessment for each of them. Much like his dream, once Angeal was freed from the sheer beauty of the creature, he went to say something and the buck turned and granted him a backwards glance and too ran deeper into the forest covering, leaving Angeal now with even more questions now that he'd saw his vision a reality.

Sephiroth ran to resolve this issue of Zachary nonetheless. He knew it was forbidden to show his form to a human, even if it was Angeal. Sephiroth winced again at the comfort of the use of the man's name. As Sephiroth ran through the forest, if his current form could express his small happiness at the other man's facial expressions upon seeing his form, he would have tentative smile on his face as well.


	4. Chapter 4

Sephiroth ran with all the power his form carried from one point to another across the expanse of his kingdom, his heart strangely light. He couldn't put into words emotions how having that male, having Angeal see him in his glory and be dumbstruck by it made him feel…beautiful. He knew he was coming off as a simpering female but maybe his mother was right and this was his heart's first blossom into true emotions that way for anyone in this way. It was a dangerous and heady feeling because it was so taboo. He knew that he was steadily sinking further into the beginnings of affection for the human but unlike **_Zachary_** , he had not shown his true form to the man, though he would be dishonest to himself at this opinion if he said that he didn't want to oddly. He would get to know the man as he was first, as was proper. It didn't used to be taboo for humans to be intermingled with their kind, that was until that fateful day eight years ago…

Sephiroth came to a halt at the base of the mountain side gracefully shifting into his elfin form once more. There was a large white wolf to his side that trotted up to him and shifted seamlessly as well and greeted him.

"Greetings King Sephiroth. It is not often we get to have you as a guest anymore with your new duties so either danger or my brother has brought you to the wolves' den perhaps?" the one named Cloud, Zachary's packmate and litter twin deadpanned though he gave a small smile.

Cloud was the smaller of the two, the runt if you would, but had proven himself to be just as strong as Zachary with broadswords. Strangely their father wielded a javelin and their mother, Shera, an Owl Fae, her own large feathers like throwing knives. He was the total opposite to Zachary in everything, even down to looks. Cloud's head was covered in a crown of golden spiked hair much like his brother's, though it was shorter. He also had blue eyes that bordered more on a sapphire instead of the violet like Zachary's were too. He also was the twin that was more reserved, bashful even and held the commonsense between the two where Zachary was more wild and inquisitive and outgoing…and brash.

Cloud stood there with his arms loosely crossed along his slightly broad chest, all the while his tail, the color of his hair swayed back and forth in comfort, awaiting the King's reply.

Sephiroth, too, tended to be more of the shy, intelligent type. This was probably why the wolf boys had been his friends equally for the duration as they both were relatable to him. He shook his head, silvery hair disturbed in the action, setting his lips in a firm line looking at Cloud which has got the other's attention fully, knowing it was something grave.

"Yes, it is true that I get to visit less and less and I am sorry for that. I will make sure to take out time to visit you all more. You are more than just my subjects. I do…value you as friends, colleagues and always have. I am looking for your wayward brother. You would not know where he is now would you? We do…have much to _discuss."_

Sephiroth felt bad that he had been missing out time spent with friends while he ogled the human male instead. He still couldn't and wouldn't agree to let that favorite pastime go. In fact, after he figured out a way to reprimand his friend where it wouldn't look like he was just being petty and jealous (which another smaller part of himself could admit, but only to himself), he had decided he would be seeing more of the man but on his own terms. This was a precarious situation. He needed to be remain the Sovereign here as King but at the same time he knew it wouldn't do to be hypocritical either. He fully understood why Zachary had shown himself to the him on some level. Zachary would have had to have trusted him, really trusted him as he also had lost packmates during the skirmish eight years ago. They had lost Cissnei their sister and littermate and several of their elders in the war. It was just Cid's family now… In that way, it seemed sadder for them since at least Sephiroth had most his family while Zachary's and Cloud's had all but been eradicated. Shera was with pups again so hopefully they would be able to flourish and grow as a den again.

Sephiroth shook his head to clear his mind and with Cloud's information, sought out the wayward puppy Zach.

When Sephiroth reached the inner dens rooms, he turned and headed directly to Zachary's room.

Before he could even say a word, Zach beat him to it, no doubt feeling his presence as he could always.

"Sephiroth, please, I am sorry! Please don't kill me! I know it would be within your Kingly duty to do but I swear I had a multiple reason for why I did what I did. Will you allow me to tell you what I know about Angeal, remaining calm to the best of your ability?" Zach asked from under several furs and bearskins that acted as a blanket of sorts, peering out to look up at the other man's impassive face.

Without changing his face or the tension going through him at what Zachary had done or now what he was _saying he knew_ , Sephiroth gracefully sat down among the furs arms still crossed and eyes still trained on Zachary with the phrase **_Go on_** swimming in them, as they burned holes in Zach's face.

Zachary whimpered at the look that Sephiroth was giving him but figured this was better than his friend and King killing him immediately and though he recoiled a bit from the cold look, he gathered his wits and told Sephiroth everything he could remember, forgetting some points here and there. Overall though Sephiroth knew. Angeal and saw it all: Sephiroth's fighting off the enemy that was their enemy at the time, Vincent and Chaos when he'd come initially into the forest, that Angeal had been there in their original home and had refused to fight them and had apparently tried to help with the other men had stolen his brothers and ultimately had murdered them. Angeal apparently had even saw his family's mourning of the children when Vincent and Chaos had come too late and Sephiroth held what Angeal had described as "another beautiful child". Depictions of his mother and even his infant brother was thrust back at Sephiroth and instead of him calming, Zachary found it was having the opposite effect and began to worry as Sephiroth's eyes began to glow with his internal powers.

"Seph-what is wrong? I didn't tell you to offend you. Why are you so angry? What can I do to make this right?" Zach said, Sephiroth's power now pressing in on him, crawling along his skin like so many ants.

By now Cloud was at the door as well looking terrified for his brother, as well as their father Cidney, or Cid.

"What's the boy done Highness? I will try to make amends! I know he is dumb like a box of rocks but please don't strike him down, Cloud and him all I got along with my pups to be" Cid pleaded for his stupid son, thinking the anger was from him.

Sephiroth had at some point closed his eyes as the anger overwhelmed him and he vaguely heard all the commotion around him. He was enraged! The man Angeal had been there and though he had not fought against his brethren, he saw what kind of sword the man wielded. He could have helped, maybe even saved his brothers! If he was correct, the man would have been 20 or so summers himself so definitely of age. Why did watch them be slaughtered? Why didn't he help?

Sephiroth began to shake as he tried to control his anger from consuming those around him, having enough mind to know he was around allies…friends. With all his strength and speed, he fled out of the wolf caves on a path to the man named Angeal's house. He had to know why he would allow his own to slaughter his family.

Once the threat of death had fled in the form of the hurt and confused looking King, all eyes looked at Zachary who still lay prone on the ground shaking in an adrenaline rush due to the fear of death being so close.

"You better start from the beginning" Cid said gruffly as Cloud and he took a seat on the recently vacated furs. Zachary sighed and began again.

Back in his animal form, he had made quick time to the man's house in the woods. He could see movement from the window and could see that the woman, Ary-ith, was visiting. It was late so he knew she would be leaving for town soon and so he waited.

He decided to lay down along the slightly snow-covered leaves. Though his anger was great, about time they began to say their goodbyes, it had tapered to him being able to be reasonable but still quite vexed without striking the man down in anger. He would be able to listen to the man's side of the story. It occurred to him that if he was to get this answer he would have to shift into his elfin form as well to communicate with this human. Was the answer worth the risk? Would it be worth going against the rule carefully set by his own father? After all, was this not the same rule that had taken him to Zachary's home in the first place for his infraction…

Anger was quickly swapped out for uncertainty.

He saw the man as if he knew he would be there looking out into the distance as if searching for something…or someone, even after the young woman had made her way down the worn path to the human town. Again, he stood before the man in his large and regal form, slightly shifting from hoof to hoof breathing in crisp air, again trying to calm his heart and now his mind.

"Please, please don't run" Angeal said quickly on seeing the great beast in the path in front of his home, the light of his house illuminating his hide in an ethereal view.

"I know you are of the forest; somehow, I know okay. I have so many questions that I think you are only able to answer for me. I don't even know if that is even true… you could just be a beautiful buck that is inquisitive but somehow I…I just doubt it" Angeal rambled in his own deep voice in nervousness as he was quite literally talking to a large animal thinking that he may have lost his mind with Zach and now this large sentient looking buck staring at him.

Sephiroth stood still. He had questions as well but they would have to wait. For now, he would play the "curious beast". Sephiroth took a step up to the man, taking in his features wholly.

He had blue eyes that bordered on some of the rivers that were runoff from the mountains themselves in the area. He was tall and sturdy, broader than even he in elfin form.

He had a spattering of facial hair, not quite a beard, but very becoming nonetheless. He had black hair that started from a widow's peak and sideburns and it rested on his broad shoulders, spiking slightly at the ends. He wore another odd colored garb of some sort with shapes of squares of red and black in succession across an equally broad chest and thick arms. His legs were encased in a dark material he was not familiar with but those terminated into dark black boots that had been laced up neatly.

What was causing him undue conflict was the raw emotions on that chiseled face.

Angeal was looking for something, anything to prove that he was not losing his mind. This was one of the reasons why they didn't always reveal their natures as some could not comprehend it and ultimately lost their minds. Sephiroth somehow felt like it was more to the pleading questions. He would not go against his father's rule…but should the human stumble upon him in his elfin form well, that was a different scenario all together. He would speak with the man, he would just make him take the first step.

Tentatively, Sephiroth walked up to Angeal as the man stood on the porch waiting for something to indicate that he was not imaging things. Angeal spoke again.

"It doesn't look as though you will reveal your nature me. I don't think that you are supposed to anyhow based on how my other Fae friend was treated by what I can only imagine was you acting as a superior of some sort" and Angeal tentatively reached a hand out to see if the being would be amicable.

Sephiroth stared at the man's hand. He could be insulted or even wary but that would not fit his goal of him getting closer to the man for his needed knowledge. He allowed for him to touch the side of his face and neck and even along his side. Sephiroth had had enough of the unfamiliar touch that both infuriated him and inflamed him. It had been as intimate as if he were in his elfin form. He snorted gently and backed away.

"I guess this is as good as it gets for now. Maybe when you are comfortable or the one that rules you can give you permission to show your form, you will. It's odd to talk to just your animal form but I would not have you in trouble either like Zach was and respect your decision to uphold your rule" Angeal said with a soft smile.

With that, Sephiroth was turning and bounding away and leaving the man on the porch again to turn and enter away from the night's cold air that now seemed obvious where it wasn't before.

The next day came and with it came Zach again. Angeal would be lying if he said that he wasn't concerned about his new companion here in the forest. He still had a question as to what the buck's status was in regards to Zach, but he figured that he would ask as he'd never been not forthcoming beforehand. That's why when Zach was mum's the word on who his mysterious guest was, he was annoyed and slightly confused.

"Why can't you tell me? Is the buck not a part of the forest or is a normal animal? "Angeal asked exasperated.

"No, no it's of the Fae it's just…ah 'Geal it's more complicated than that" Zach said tail strangely limp and him scratching the back of his neck in a nervous gesture, shifting from leg to leg.

"Well tell me why it complicated? I'm sorry I am being so…adamant. For the last month, I have had reoccurring dreams about that specific buck, right down to its coloring. It's sought me out night after night as of late. Last night it allowed me to touch its muzzle, neck, and side of its hide. This was after asking it if it was sentient. I don't know what it wants or what it all means" Angeal said frustrated.

Zach had frozen all his movements after he'd heard what Sephiroth had done and Angeal ever astute, caught on.

"If you know something, please just…anything would help Zachary! "Angeal said pleading. He needed this to make sense, especially how he felt as he pets that buck. It had excited him and unnerved him.

"I wish I could but it so much more than you know. I could be killed. Leniency was shown to me due to friendship but this…he'd kill me for sure".

As soon as the words were out of his mouth Zach slapped both hands over it, eyes wide staring at Angeal.

"It is a "him". I could have gathered that from him being a buck and not a doe but the fact that you are friends is news. What type of person is he like?" Angeal said patting the other side of the couch, beckoning him to sit down.

Zach sat down looking defeated and began talking slowly about his "friend", the king of the Fae and Forest.

It had gotten late and Angeal had an excellent picture of the personality the Fae had. He simply didn't know what he looked like or what the dreams meant still. He said his goodnight wishes to Zach and watched as he shifted and bounded on his way home. Sephiroth again watched from the distance and turned away to head home himself.


	5. Chapter 5

There was the familiar clash of sword and that horrible, unforgettable sounds of the metal monsters that had robbed them of their original home. He looked around and saw that the threat had been pushed back. What was further horrifying, at his feet, Angeal laid alongside another, a fiery haired male who had ceased to move any longer. Angeal bled from several wounds, one worse than the next. Sephiroth didn't remember dropping to his knees by the male, only that the emotion of fear, pain, and sadness were saturating him. He'd gathered the man's head up towards his own chest, him trying and failing to heal grievous wounds, the man slipping away from life in his hands. He saw his father and uncle, his mother coming up the ranks. Before he could even check his respect, wild malachite eyes scanned his family, emotions overruled his tongue and heard himself cry out "Please help him! "

Sephiroth's eyes blinked open as he lay in his bed. He swept up and over to the edge of the bed, face resting in his palms, the heels of them pressing into the very orbits of his eyes as he willed those somewhat disturbing images out of his mind.

This was the beginning of the second week in which he had these nightmares. Everyone would end with Angeal's either before him or almost death. He was always left very unsettled afterwards and had no idea what the correlation of Angeal to him feeling so… strongly meant. He desperately needed his mother's guidance but feared and expected his father's retribution for his continued dalliance with this human man. His uncle would have disowned him on the spot as it was never any secret as to Chaos's hatred of humans, though it was never deciphered as to why his hate ran so hot.

Sephiroth decided the sport of hunting would do him good. Normally he would ask his brother along but today's dream left him more shaken than he cared to accept. He rose from the bed and went into his private bathing chamber.

After stripping of his nightgown, he stood before a crystal mirror taking in his own reflection in his elfin form. Lifting his own medium built arms up, he spelled his crown of natural occurring antlers, leaving nothing but his pointed ears and vertical slit eyes as well as his hair coloring behind to show him as Fae. He was tall by even Fae standards, taking after his father in that he was at least even with a young oak, the equivalent of about 6'1 in human height. His silver hair fell along his broad chest and long, lightly muscled stomach and the rest laid smooth as silk against firm yet rounded buttocks and framing muscular thighs and long, smooth and pale legs. His face, much like his kind, was angular. It was his appearance that made him unique. He had a beauty and handsomeness that made it the truest androgynous features to be owned. Beautiful, slight almond eyes that were mint green shot through with aqua blue with vertical slits with perfect manicured brows, long and straight nose, and light pink lips among the pale flesh that he owned that made him look like he was one with this environment that was his new home.

He even had a deer's tail, though most the time it remained either unseen or spelled as a personal preference. He had learned as he grew it was…a sensitive area and would only be exploited by only his lover he took on. Sephiroth thought back to the touch that he'd allowed Angeal to give him the week prior. Though he didn't go up on the man again afterwards, he was always there like clockwork to see him. He thought of the gentle yet calloused touches to his face as the pads moved along his animal sized jaw and along his neck. He thought of that hand travelling along his side almost to his haunches before he'd ultimately pulled away. He'd never been one for touching unless it was his mother's caresses or a firm hug in greeting from his father or uncle.

Sephiroth came back to himself realizing as he'd thought of those touches, so his own hands had taken those courses on his elfin body. He abruptly dropped his hands to his side, blushing irritably jaw clenching along with his fist at his sides. How dare this man stir something that was well above him! He would resolve this issue on his time but first he would hunt. He quickly donned his hunting attire, boots, and sword and went into the forest.

The sky looked as if it would open and unleash a maelstrom any minute but Sephiroth was far too preoccupied with all that had been going on and his own strange behavior. Between the information that he'd gotten from Zachary, the man's actions themselves, and now these dreams, Sephiroth needed answers and he needed them now.

Angeal on the opposite side of the forest, too, was trying to hunt game for dinner and failing. He was so agitated. He had traded one set of dreams for well, now…nightmares! Who wanted to see themselves fighting their brother they had even seen in eight years parrying and slashing repeatedly until either he was killed, both were killed by each other's swords, or he was hanging on to life while what looked to be an angel held and wept for him. He could never see the angel's face and the pained voice and flashes here and there of green and sliver…

"Enough! This is madness! I have got to focus or I will starve tonight" Angeal growled, running his hands irritably through his hair looking around just as the first snow began to fall causing the great man to sight but not give up.

Sephiroth had moved closer and had heard the man, his eyesight and hearing far superior than any humans, and noticed the man's distress. He had also noticed by the minute now that the snow was coming heavier and heavier.

Angeal had his sword, sleep survival pack and lamp on him knowing today looked like a blizzard day. He had specifically stayed close to a cave he used for such occasions should he not be able to make it home. He had stored emergency food and water and things there should he be stuck a few days. Just as he was about to turn away towards the cave, he saw in the distance a man.

Sephiroth was resistant to most elements due to his nature; cold was his least favorite in this form to protect against. He grasped at his arms and began heading towards the caved areas to seek shelter from the now full on storm that had come, complete with wind howling and visibility beginning to be affected. Sephiroth used his speed to move towards the caves and in his haste, almost mowed down Angeal.

Angeal grabbed Sephiroth with no permeable shocking him, which almost ended up with the man having a broken…everything until Sephiroth again realized that he had no clue that he was who he was and from how he was trying to speak over the storm, he had shelter for them to seek refuge in. Sephiroth looked at the man and firmly but gently dislodged Angeal's arm around his own and followed him after a nod to indicate he understood. They both reached the foot of the mountainside and a heavy hide of a bear it seemed, was pulled aside. Once they were in, they surprisingly could remain upright with both of their heights.

Once inside, Angeal began lighting several walls torches he'd used it looked several times before. There in the center was a small yet usable fire pit along with several strips of meats that had been salted and preserved. There were a couple other skins of animals made into blankets but no more than three. There sat two bladders of what Sephiroth could tell was water from his keen smell as he looked around the whole of the room that was no bigger than a three-man tent though the ceiling went on forever, narrowing as it went which allowed for ventilation of the fires though it was still quite chilly.

"Please take a seat and try to warm up. I can start a fi- "Angeal went to start but before he could finish the sentence, Sephiroth had sat along the opposite wall, and had angled his right-hand, palm open causing the dry kindling in the pit to spring to life on fire. Angeal stared at it a moment and then back at his mystery guest. He simply shook his head and chuckled causing Sephiroth to look up at him with one eyebrow lifted in question.

Angeal's laughter quickly died though as he fully took in the look of the other person.

They were beautiful…and they were quickly turning blue from being too cold to which Angeal was nervously trying to broach the subject. They had on wet clothing and it didn't look too insulated so they were going to be suffering from hyperthermia soon. Not to mention that cowl…wait. Oh, all that gunmetal material along the other's person was long, water logged hair. His clothing had been layered so he was okay. He cleared his throat, brows creasing some, but he hoped for the best as the seafoam green eyes looked at him.

"I know what your real nature is. I am sure you are Fae with that light show. Um…miss, the thing is your coloring is not too good and you're shaking badly. We need to remove your soaked clothes and tend to your long hair as it too is holding a lot of moisture against you. We got to get you closer to the fire to warm you up and soon. I assure you I am not looking to take advantage of you in anyway, just looking out for your health is all. Maybe afterwards you'd care for some water or some jerky…I mean if that is something you care to eat?" Angeal said head facing downward as he finished his sentence, hideously embarrassed to have to ask a woman, to do this for her health. What kind of cad would she think he was? And she was Fae too? He'd be dead by her hands, she had the strength enough to do so, he'd felt it when she removed his arm from her own outside in the Blizzard.

He hadn't been aware he was shaking as badly as he was. He did glance down at his hands. They had begun to take on an odd sort of light blue-purple. His hair and clothing were soaked through. He had never experienced this before. Ah, he always been a Buck in most Blizzards or in their hidden castle built among the mountains and trees. Suddenly he realized his mind was fuzzy as well as what the man had said to him and instead of being angry, he found it…amusing, for the man's own embarrassment for not recognizing his gender. What a hideous and gargantuan female he'd be honestly. His mother would have expired laughing at his situation. He damned her strong genes.

"I assure you I am no female. Our women do not match our males as dwarves do in looks…or facial hair" Sephiroth said in his own deep timbre with a smirk on his lips and began to peel the waterlogged clothing off his person against the other wall, his lips now showing blue as well and his motions slightly sluggish.

Angeal's head flew up so quickly he was certain he would catch a knot in his neck tomorrow. This was a male in front of him? Zach and this…male was like night and day, quite literally as he took in the hair color and skin tone like moonlight. To the man's side was a long sword that was sheathed and laying on the floor partially covered by the man's long silver hair. Angeal's mind strayed back to that day eight year's prior, to that that child solider…was this him, as an adult? He dismissed the thought and went to get one of the other skin blankets wrapping it around the other man who still shook and who's teeth chatter.

"We go to get you warm. Your pants were not as bad as your shirt and top half, most likely do to your long hair. I know this is a strange request but considering your situation all that can help is body heat. Come I will get under the blanket with you and try to get your core temperature up. If not…you risk dying and something tells me you're not used to this form in this weather and are not able to go back to or can in front of me go back to your other form" Angeal mused with understanding.

Sephiroth wanted to protest but the icy cold sleep that was taking him promised to be eternal without aid. With a barely perceptible nod to Angeal though his mouth was set straight and he had a hard time now seeing clearly, Angeal bundled the man up and moved them both close to the fire and under the skins. Sephiroth was going to continue to fight the sleep, afraid of its promise, but with Angeal there warming Sephiroth's ice cold trunk, his skin begins to prickle painfully and the only release from it was sleep. Sephiroth finally slumped senselessly into a healing sleep.

Angeal looked laid close but looked over the man with his face on one of his elbows. This had to be one of those children from that day. This had to be the little warrior all grown up. So, this is where Shinra had driven them.

That made a lot of sense why so much died around Midgar. Fae were the life source of the world, scions for the Goddess Minerva under Lucrecia, Queen of the Fae. He wondered if he knew her personally or if there was a hierarchy system there.

Angeal continued to ruminate on this this was just common knowledge in Banora and well, much of the world. It was up to the person to be a follower or not. He was a follower of Minerva and her scions, always had and always would be. He was so blessed to know about Zach and now to stumble into this beautiful one. Well, introductions would have to wait until tomorrow.

He didn't know why but he felt like he knew this man already before though as he yawned lulling into sleep himself. Not from eight years go, but from somewhere more recent.

As they both slept by the fire, neither had the disturbing dream that had haunted them for the last week and a half.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thank you to the B.A or M.A. holding English major Anon that pointed out my computer and human flawed posting while I was sick; I do appreciate. For everyone else, I do sincerely apologize as I had stated I didn't feel well at the time of posting and actually had a migraine. But, nonetheless, things are back on track. I am going to be knocking this down to teen rating to keep up with the site's regulations. This is my baby, errors and all. Any more adult situations are being posted at the same time at a competitor's website; see my profile for details. Anyway, enjoy.

The Blizzard showed no signs of relinquishing.

Introductions had transpired as soon as eyes opened and unfamiliar scenery and weight was registered on Sephiroth. He dislodged the man's arm being draped on him and had moved back into his position along the wall where he had begun only this time his senses were back sharp as daggers and he was as uncomfortable as he could be.

"Where are we?" he has asked to the man that was still sleep causing him to rouse from his deep sleep quite easily at the other's voice. Angeal rubbed at his eyes and looked around as well taking in his surroundings and remembered they were in the cave and a blizzard was roaring outside… and what had transpired as again sea foam eyes now slight distrustful zeroed in on him. He was trying to rouse but he couldn't remember how long it had been since he'd slept so peacefully.

Sephiroth was sitting there placing his now dried clothing back on as well.

"We are in a cave. There is a blizzard outside. You had hypothermia set in. It seems you are fine now. I am sorry for the unconventional process but I am glad you are well. May I ask you your name?" Angeal said flipping around to set up and brace against the other wall.

"It's fine. I am sure I was not all myself either. I thank you for your help. My name is Sephiroth." Sephiroth said with a small smile that quickly melted back to his neutral face as he looked on at Angeal.

Angeal was unnerved slightly but refused to show it. It wouldn't do to become afraid of the overly gorgeous man. At least he didn't seem to treat his beauty the same way his own brother had: as a bargaining chip and gross arrogance. Then again, this was no mere man either.

Sephiroth sat there for a moment trying to gather his thoughts. They had nothing but time and he needed answers. The man had proven himself…meek and kind, which he was not in the least shocked about from his constant observation of him. He was a human and time and proper rest had brought him back to that, yet still he had to know why from the man himself why he didn't try to fight to save his brothers. He knew it had to be him.

Before Sephiroth could get the words out Angeal beat him to it.

"Hey, I believe we've met before. Well, the proper term would be I saw you fighting groups of men twice your height and age at the time as you were much younger but nonetheless skilled…while I cowered" Angeal said with his head down, unable to face those unique and hauntingly beautiful eyes that all four children had had.

Sephiroth sat up ram rod straight, eyes trained on the man. He was not expecting this from him. He did remember him from eight years back.

"Why?" Sephiroth whispered with such pained emotion in that one question. He wanted to yell and to cast judgement on the man though he said he would leave it, thinking the man wouldn't, couldn't have remembered such an experience though it was carved on his heart forever like a family crest. He'd meant what he said when he vowed his revenge on the lot of them and he would rebuild his home and expand his kingdom from here to there for all his kind.

Sephiroth sat looking in contempt until he saw Angeal's face and it seemed to kill that anger that curdled in his stomach.

"Would you honestly have saw me as an ally or just as another one coming into your beautiful and holy sanctum? We both know with the sword that you wield and your skill, I would have been dead and on the ground by your hand or by your father's hand well before I got to your siblings. I wanted to help them…and I watched the horror right with you and your other kin across from me" Angeal said with a self-defeated look on his face. He knew he was useless to them. He didn't know exactly why now, but seeing that extraordinary man and his identical twin brother at the beginning and then the boy turn man now being an expert swordsman, he couldn't have saved himself much less two Fae children.

Before Sephiroth could even respond to this information, Angeal came in front of him and planted both fist firmly on the ground with his head bowed to Sephiroth.

"I am truly sorry for your siblings and scions of the Goddess, please have mercy on me. I am a loyal servant of the Goddess Minerva and the Queen Fae Lucrecia. I do not know if you have access to her but please carry my apology to her for failing no doubt her children" and Angeal completely prostrated himself.

To say that Sephiroth was shocked at such a noble display was an understatement, his sea foam green eyes wide with wonderment and another emotion he couldn't place now.

With both long fingered, pale hands, Sephiroth lifted Angeal's face. Though they were not shed, there was a sheen of unshed tears in his eyes. Sephiroth felt the man's sincerity and he was right, he would have saw him as just another one coming into a place that he didn't belong or as he said if he posed a threat, his father or his uncle would have ended him on first step into the forest floor.

"Come on. Lift yourself up. I take your apology and hold it dear and true. I am…in the Lady Lucrecia's favor and will be sure to share this with her at our next meet" Sephiroth said with another genuine smile.

They talked more about that day, Angeal filling in the blanks of what had brought him to the forest and what had taken him away. He had explained that though his only brother was not in the ground, his forsaking the Goddess and the desecration of the Planet had drove an irreversible wedge between Genesis and Angeal, making him as good as dead to him, especially since he bedded Shinra himself. That ideal also had Sephiroth sneering as well.

Before long they sat in companionable silence eating some of the cured jerky and drinking of the water. It was surreal. Sephiroth to find a flaw, and flaw in the man that would make him be a deterrent to his rampant emotions. Angeal, too, was flabbergasted that such a creature such as Sephiroth have grown up to be so handsome and intelligent. Well, the stories had always said that they were man's beacon to follow though many had stopped long ago.

Sephiroth kept covertly taking in the man's profile. He was a rugged sort of handsome. His strong jaw and solid muscular build found him beginning to daydream about things he should not and it left his cheeks with a small, imperceptible blush as his cleared his throat and looked away lest he embarrass himself.

Angeal unfortunately was not so secret with his appraising eyes though he tried. Sephiroth had stood and was now looking around the cave in more detail and Angeal was looking at him and simply could not help it. From the man's pigmentation to his long silver hair to the tops of his calves, Sephiroth was a vision. Angeal watched as Sephiroth's eyes scanned over all his small belongings with those unusual, glowing eyes with vertical slits. He wanted so badly to ask him what his animal form was, chuckling that it automatically had to be a large feline.

Sephiroth stopped his perusal and looked at the man and just shook his head. From the sound of it, the storm had settled and he let Angeal know as much. When he looked to the man he looked…conflicted, as if he didn't want to leave. They had been in the cave no less than three days only leaving for nature calls after making sure they were sufficiently bundled up otherwise everywhere else, even Sephiroth's hair.

"The sun is high and the snow has settled. I must return to…the kingdom. Surely, I am missed as I am sure there are others that miss you "Sephiroth said hands on hips securely and pack and sword back in place.

"Aerith and Tifa are having a fit I am positive of it. I am sure that Zach…oh yeah. Do you know Zachary of the clan Cloudy Wolf? They are Wolf Fae. He has served as my companion and now as my friend as well now that I know he is much, much more" Angeal said with a smile.

Sephiroth winced at all the trouble that he'd given Zachary for this one man. He could see he was worth the trouble already as he'd grown on him in three days.

"Yes, we are childhood friends. He should not have revealed his form to you. It is against our Sovereign Father's mandate" Sephiroth said coolly.

Angeal looked remorseful.

"I didn't know that it was against your regulations. I am sorry that he did that for me. I didn't know he was being impulsive like that" Angeal said with brows cinched in concern at the information given as he crossed his larger arms, causing Sephiroth's eyes to stray downward to them straining against the broad chest.

"That was not your fault. Zachary has always been brash and…puppyish. We are only two summers apart yet I swear he acts like a freshly weaned pup at times" Sephiroth said rolling his eyes.

Angeal was curious now. How old exactly were Zach and Sephiroth. They looked no older than teenagers and him himself was twenty-eight years old.

"You mentioned "summers". Is that like years to humans?" Angeal asked inquisitive.

"Indeed. I am the equivalent of twenty summers while Zach is eighteen."

"Equivalent?"

"Yes. I am what humans would call five hundred ten years old" Sephiroth said not even missing a beat.

Angeal just stared with rapt horror and awe. Sephiroth calmly stared back.

"I see you thought you were the eldest among us. That is…quaint" he said turning his back to Angeal smiling a large genuine smile at Angeal's facial response.

Angeal turned it over and over in his mind. He was sure he was beginning to like this Sephiroth. Good thing he wouldn't have to feel like he was robbing the cradle. Now it was more like Sephiroth was robbing his great-great-great-great grandfather's cradle. He could live with that.

Page Break

As soon as Sephiroth was a sufficient distance from the cave and was assured that Angeal had made it back onto his well-worn path, he shifted and ran at high speed back to the Mahkoreed Castle. As soon as he was before the grand doors he shifted and he caught his brother's attention.

"Brother, I am so glad you are back; I was worried. There was a Blizzard and though I knew you would seek cover, I felt you weaken momentarily, is everything well?" Yazoo asked.

Yazoo never spoke much but as the empath of the family, he had also "imprinted" on Sephiroth, always knowing if he were in danger, afraid, hurt, or even simply lonely.

At first Sephiroth resented it when they were younger but the with passing of the others, he in time found that he didn't mind so much, especially on the harder days when he was most harsh with himself for things he knew he could not change and welcomed the company as Yazoo would come to him.

"Yes, I am well. I had been caught in the storm unawares and had the beginnings of hypothermia. I was helped into a cave by a passerby where I was assisted until we both were able to go about our way" Sephiroth said, not thinking on what he was saying or the implications of how one would have gotten that way since it was common knowledge they never shifted out of animal form in extreme weather…unless they were in the company of others that need not know their identity.

Yazoo quickly looked over Sephiroth as if he was checking him over but also noticed he had spelled his antlers which he never did since he'd become king as it was if he was wearing the physical crown of the position. Yazoo hugged his brother and let him be on his way but his eyes narrowed. "Sephiroth, what have you done?"

Sephiroth, as promised, went directly to his mother. Good or bad, he would deliver the apology and the prayer offered from the man that was a true worshipper of all that they were.

As he pushed through the door, Lucrecia greeted him first. Sephiroth couldn't help but be wary at the sight of his father at his mother's side.

"Husband, please leave us for now. I will visit with you shortly more on the matter at hand "Lucrecia said with a smile and Vincent bowed and swept out of the room but not without locking eyes directly with his son.

Sephiroth knew that his father knew something, and so did his mother but he would play along and not show his hand. He kept his face carefully blank but serene and greeted his mother.

"Greetings Sovereign Mother, I have returned. I was caught in a Blizzard that- "Sephiroth was cut off as he mother began.

"That one of my rare and few servants saved you from. Sephiroth…the path you chose is narrow and treacherous. IT is not the servant. I know his heart. I have known his heart since you first came to me though you tried to hide it."

Sephiroth's head shot up to look at his mother in guilt and fear that she would possibly hate him for the way he was beginning to feel slowly but surely. He tried to block away the emotions from showing outwardly.

"I can never hate you my beloved firstborn. Your uncle is close to solving the riddle that is your behavior, your father even closer. Your father will not hate you dear one. He will not understand initially and may even hide himself from you or send you from him for a time to sort his feelings but I implore you to tell him either way. Your uncle of course is a totally different beast and you've known that always. Chaos can be very frightening and very dangerous. Take care of your little human around him should he find out. Chaos sadly has his reasons for his behavior as well too, one mostly born of love at odds, broken promises, and unresolved grudges.

"You also must tell Yazoo. He will… take it badly I fear. It may make a rift between you two and only time will see if it heals. As I have said my Seraph, the love for one affects many others. Will you accept that and still rule as the king that we will all need?" Lucrecia asked Sephiroth with a sad smile for her son.

He would do it. He would do it all and get to know Angeal and possibly become more.

"I will Mother. I will go to Yazoo first. I feel as though he was already curious" Sephiroth said with a defeated tone but nonetheless started to search for what would no doubt be heartache before the end of the day.

Sephiroth found Yazoo along a waterfall cleaning and checking the barrel of his Velvet Nightmare.

Yazoo immediately looked up feeling the tension and the worry in him, and what was worse, the preparation for a fight. He saw that Masamune was even strapped to his brother's back. Yazoo was up like lightening and had all Sephiroth's attention.

"Why do you come to me feeling the way that you do? Why do you anticipate a fight?" Yazoo said sheathing his own weapon, his own faced creased in worry.

"Because I know you will abhor what I am about to tell you but it must be said nonetheless and this is from Mother. It is true that I was caught in a blizzard and that I couldn't get back to you. What is also true is that…I have been seeking out a human, observing him, daily for more than four thirty day spans. Well, I had gone to confront him about…about our slain brothers because he was the man that had been across from you all those years ago, that sat crying and trying to hide from view. I wanted to know his reason for his cowardice in not assisting saving Loz or Kadaj and his reason was sound. He is human. I would have slain him or Father would have, thinking him just one of many of the enemy, it's as simple as that. I hated the answer but it is the truth. What is also true…is that I have grown feelings for him. I couldn't transform, I was weakened from the cold and wetness and he nursed me back to health and warmth. I do not seek or want your forgiveness and I know it is not my place to ask for it" Sephiroth said finally placing his head down, unable to meet Yazoo's now watering eyes.

Yazoo was so angry he shook all over. His brother, his eldest and closest brother that he cared so closely for, had fallen for one of those filthy, disgusting creatures that had had a hand in murdering his other bothers. No, this was happening.

"No Seph…please. Just say you don't mean it", though I can feel it, he means it, "and I will forgive you. Please don't m-make me do this…" Yazoo grabbed fist full of his hair and then screamed, tearing Velvet Nightmare out just in time for Masamune to parry.

"Please Yazoo, you are all I have left along with Noctis, it doesn't have to be this way. You don't know him!" Sephiroth said, face set in anguish as he had to fight his closest brother.

They moved like blurs all over, punching and kicking, nicking and scratching here and there. Vincent became aware this was no normal spar and broke it up immediately. As soon as the boys were separated Yazoo collapsed crying, Vincent holding on to him as he looked up in sheer confusion at Sephiroth.

"I…I can't. I have to leave this place. I am sorry Yazoo, Father. I am so sorry. "Sephiroth said and with that he shifted and was back out the palace gates in which he'd came, a blur of snow flurries in his wake.

Vincent sat there a moment still consoling his son and it hit him, his eyes slitting into menacing red daggers.

Sephiroth ran as fast as he could until he could see the outline of the house. He prayed no one else was home with him. He just needed to talk and Angeal understood. He'd experienced this with his own brother Genesis he'd said.

Exhausted, he awkwardly walked up unto the smaller-than-it-initially-seemed front porch, head even with the door and literally knocked with his horns as the adrenaline of the moment and the sorrow set in.

Angeal came to the door and got the surprise of his life. There on his porch was the Grand Buck. Angeal looked it over looking for injuries and then he really noticed the eyes.

"Seph…Sephiroth?" Angeal said in awe and shock.

As if that was all he needed, Sephiroth reverted to his elfin form and curled up looking worse for wear and so sad. Angeal gathered the man up and brought him into the house.


	7. Chapter 7

Sephiroth waited for the heavy guilt of showing his form finally to this man to settle into the pit of his stomach like a weighted stone. The feeling never came. He was too upset about his failure of a conversation with Yazoo and he was now certain that in his panicked leaving, his father would know now without him having had the opportunity to tell him. He felt like a disgrace to the crown of his people; the same crown his father was still able bodied enough to have still held but had passed on to him. He knew something we different about Angeal but was it worth alienating himself from all he'd ever know like his mother said? He knew it was and that the man was. It was truly strange. In the three days spent in that cave sequestered with each other, unable to really leave besides relieving themselves, their conversation had eased into the comfortability of old friends reminiscing after the awkwardness subsided.

That was why he was sitting on something called a "sofa" in front of the man with his face propped on his elbow with his eyes closed as he just attempted to rest his mind and heart. Today had really been too much already.

"It really was you all this time" Angeal still stated in awe at Sephiroth's true form.

"Did I- frighten you?" Sephiroth asked, now turning seafoam hued eyes on Angeal in the darker lighting of the room, Sephiroth's spirits low.

"No, no. Is it…odd that I had hoped it was you anyway and that you were just being hard to get?" Angeal said, not realizing his slip up though Sephiroth caught it and it caused his eyes to glow again slightly in the dim lighting of the living room next to the lit hearth.

Angeal finally caught what had escaped past his lips without his permission and had taken on a healthy blush while he rubbed his stubble in nervousness. He chuckled to himself and simply shrugged. There was no going back on what he thought about things now.

Sephiroth was feeling a bit better for the moment at the man's confession. For whatever reason, he was feeling…playful in words.

"Really now? What if I was not the "large creature" you'd saw? Yes, I talk to Zachary, he is an idiot but he is my idiot. Is this normal human mating practice to court the intended while the intended is feeling sad or down on themselves? Would you profess your undying love for me if I had been weeping openly?"

With each question Angeal became redder and more flustered, and the more flustered he got the more humorous it got for Sephiroth as at the last question, the man simply opened his mouth to say something three different times and quickly closed his mouth before turning away looking sad again.

Sephiroth didn't like that face and was not certain why the man was giving it now…oh. He realized that though he was indeed saying these things in jest, his face, a learned family trait, had been completely serious and since his voice held no inflection, the man truly thought him upset.

Sephiroth looked at him a moment more before his face burst into a brilliant smile borderline that was frightening, which caused a confused frown from Angeal.

"I jest" Sephiroth said by way of explanation as if that was all it took, as his face slipped back into its careful neutral standby.

Angeal stared at the other man…and stared, and stared some more until something inside him bubbled up to the surface.

Angeal began laughing. He laughed so hard at the other man's antics that tears had pricked the corners of his eyes and he had to brace his stomach with one of his arms to help with a sitting stitch in his side. He couldn't help but laugh. This beautiful man had humor that was drier than the nearest desert, his wit could cut you like a knife, and the poker face of a living marble statue. Angeal laughed because he knew he enjoyed every bit of that and more about Sephiroth.

Sephiroth simply looked at the man and then turned towards the hearth's fire, feigning interest in the man's hysteria at his cost, though the sound of the man's laughter did bring another less malicious smile to his face, softening it again.

After Angeal had calmed significantly, he drew Sephiroth's attention back to the issue at hand, determined to help anyway he could.

"Okay. I have had my jollies. Now…If I am not mistaken, you had no intention of me seeing your elfin form and if my memory serves you were quite upset with Zach when he'd done so beforehand. Why did you risk it? Angeal said looking serious but determined to be a friend and confidant to Angeal.

Sephiroth didn't know what to say and looked now decidedly nervous. It was all fine and well to tease and make light of the situation, but how would he tell Angeal? He guessed all he had for his armor for his mind and heart was his word, the truth. Just hoped that Angeal could understand.

Reaching up along his head, Sephiroth removed the spell from his antlers, albeit they were smaller on him in elfin form though he looked on at Angeal as he stood from the couch, standing to his full height, eyes aglow with his hidden power.

"I am Sephiroth of Clan Crescent-Valentyne the King of the Fae and Forest…and firstborn son of Lucrecia, Mother and of all Fae and scion of the Goddess Minerva and son and nephew of Vincent and Chaos, Gods of Creation and Destruction" Sephiroth finished.

"That's a…that's a good start" Angeal said, eyes wide in extreme awe and suddenly feeling like he had bitten off more than he could chew. After looking Sephiroth fully in the eyes now, he had this weird sensation of being a bug under someone's boot.

Seeing that he was losing Angeal, he promptly sits back where he was beforehand to lessen making the man feel intimidated. He didn't want that. He knew he was Fae and that was fine, he just wanted him to know what Fae he was vying for in his advances.

Once Sephiroth spelled his antlers once more, he began with what had brought him to his home in such distress.

"As I stated, I am King of the Forest. As such, there are rules that were mandated long ago by my father, uncle, and my mother. My father ruled until my 19th summer. One of the rules…was to never expose your form to others not of our kind due to…the incident of eight summers ago. I was…distressed this evening. It has come to my attention that I have begun to care for you a great deal" Sephiroth said again very matter of fact to Angeal, making the man snap to full attention.

"When you mean "care", King- "

"Not "King", just Sephiroth, and yes I do mean as in affection. I do not claim to love you but I do know something is there. Whether you are cognizant or not, I have been aware of the inception of your friendship of Zachary, watched your interaction with your female friends Ary-ith and Tee-fa-"

"That's Aerith and Tifa" Angeal said with a laugh he covered with a cough.

"Aer-ith and Ti-fa…hmm. Yes, the young lady. I am very connected to my land as it is connected to me as you are aware. It is how I became aware of your home. I have watched you for over now five- 30 sun cycles" Sephiroth said crossing his arms along his chest, closing his eyes contemplating.

"More than five months? Really? I never knew I had such a secret admirer" Angeal said feeling unnerved, special, and blessed at the same time.

"You were not supposed to. I was only to ever observe, but…something about you kept drawing me back again and again to you and your home" Sephiroth said with a furrow of his brow in confusion but shook his head and dismissed it.

"I have come to care for you. After our time in the cave, I found you to be a good ally and conversationalist" never saying I find you attractive as well "you offered me aid when I was ill. I thank you for that" Sephiroth said.

"You still haven't told me why you came and were distressed. Surely someone in your family would be upset to see you with a human after your history. If it were me in your shoes, I know I would be" Angeal said striking out at the issue once again and refocusing the conversation, only to notice Sephiroth flinch slightly at the subject matter.

Angeal immediately regretted it. He was right. Sephiroth had come here willfully and maybe even a little scared of his own budding feelings for him and had inadvertently upset someone, or several someone's at home. Sephiroth was a King. He had obligations so it could be his people or his family he'd slighted. Him being half Fae and God and them being his parents were not boding well for Angeal.

"Please Sephiroth, tell me what happened" Angeal coaxed. It never ceased to amaze Angeal how much Sephiroth acted more like a typical human young man in some aspects but more ancient in others. He was more genuinely worried for the young man in front of him, no matter how many centuries he had on him nonetheless.

"My brother and I's closeness is torn asunder. I admitted my feelings for you as our mother stated I should and like she also predicted, we fought. I could have overwhelmed him with my strength or magic alone but he is dear to me… We've never been parted since that day eight years past. I had come to you because I had remembered our time in the cave and of your hardship with your own brother. I felt comfortable with you…"

Sephiroth had his hands so tightly clasped and intertwined in his lap due to the strain and the emotions he felt of the situation, the very knuckles had turned snow white.

Angeal looked over at the man taking in his anguish. He looked wretched. He didn't want to cause Sephiroth to feel the loss, the hole that was forever in his life without his brother as well. It just was no way to live, especially not for him.

Angeal excused himself for a moment and began to warm some water to steep tea leaves in. He would rather Sephiroth busy his hands around a mug than him sitting there almost fracturing his fingers in agony over the situation. As soon as Angeal moved to begin preparing the hot water and getting down his fresh tea leaves, Sephiroth busied himself with watching him. Angeal spoke as he moved from one small task to the next in preparation.

"Why did you do it? Surely, yes, I do appreciate your company and I can comfortably say that yes, I am attracted to you as well but you knew the risk, your mother you said-told you that this was the outcome to expect. Why for me?" Angeal puzzled to himself and aloud to Sephiroth who began to look affronted at the question. He didn't want his decision thrown back into his face. He made this stand and he would stay with it. He would return to talk to his father still nonetheless.

"Why not? You have proven yourself to be sound and just. You have been respectful of the animals of my domain. We hunt as well but only for what is needed in food or stuffs for clothing to weaponry repair, as do you. You have been hospitable even before you knew of what either Zachary or I were. You have truly walked in my mother's and the Goddess's Minerva's way. Humanity is but a trifling thing and in time my brother will see that" Sephiroth said the ending with more bravado than what he was actually feeling now but was certain.

"What you have said is true about me. I do practice the Goddesses ways and I am a minimalist on what I must use from nature as I cannot create and I am mindful of that. One thing you are forgetting though Sephiroth: If we do venture into a relationship, though humanity is a "trifling "thing, time stands still for no one and it is even more so brutal to humankind as you know. While you are just reaching "20 summers" in human standards though you are 510 years old, I am literally 28… "Angeal said sadly shaking his head, unable to finish his full thought while producing a steaming mug to Sephiroth.

Sephiroth knew what Angeal was trying to say though. He knew that Angeal would be long gone before he'd even technically be "30 summers" the way their decades seemed to stagger. Sephiroth carefully sniffed at the concoction given to him, holding the mug by its sides instead of the handle before Angeal could stop him though he looked up at Angeal quizzically at his panic by the way he held the strange drinking container. He pieced together that Angeal had been worried that the heat was going to scald him.

"Do not fret. I am flame and heat retardant" he said as he took his first tentative sip of the brew of leaves. The way he said it again so bluntly left Angeal dumbstruck and he struggled to lift his chin back up off the ground. Well that answered why he struggled so hard with the cold but could crank out a fire light no one's business.

"I don't care about your aging malady. I would like to get to know you more and something about you, even my dreams draw me to you" Sephiroth said staring into the hearth, eyes taking on a distant look as he held the mug close to his chest in both hands.

"Your dreams as well?" Angeal said looking in surprise and shock, as he took the other couch again drinking his own mug of tea.

"Yes. As of late they have been… disturbing and I have no answer for what that mean" he also admitted. He knew what he'd saw over and over but he had no idea who was the culprit or who the red-haired man was by Angeal or at other times fighting Angeal. Sephiroth figured he would find out sooner or later since this was now officially happening. They would take it slow and continue to cultivate their friendship and the more that was there and let just let it grow and transform naturally.

Weeks passed and Sephiroth would continue to come and go as he pleased among the forest floor, either hunting or roaming. Since his fight with Yazoo, he had found he could not yet go back to the Mahkoreed Castle. There would be questions and he would not feel the need to answer questions. What he did do, though, is still now actively seek out and visit with Angeal getting to know the man more and more daily. The bond grew stronger and stronger and Sephiroth at this point had little care in changing how he felt about his human companion now. He had done as he had willed before and he would continue to do so now, regardless of who felt what about his choices. Though Sephiroth himself was a more docile creature and that aspect mirrored greatly in his humanoid shyness as well, he found Angeal's straight to the point but calm way of speaking on things refreshing. The man's code of honour ran deep and it was a direct offshoot of his belief…in his kind and in the Goddess. They were a perfect balance of pride and honour, strength and intellect, the both. Sephiroth loved how Angeal seemed to hang on his every word though he knew he was but a mere child comparatively to others of his kind in age. Angeal was so fascinated in the fact with the stories that Sephiroth relayed of the dawn of man through what was known as "the Ancients", a humanoid race of beings that were directly connected to the planet and were the servants of the Fae and Gods. They were what modern day humans had come from and why some humans were more sensitive than others to the planet depending on if those genes still were very strong in one's family, like they were for Angeal's friend Aerith.

Sephiroth had been hesitant to give away the knowledge of his origins to anyone else. On one of his many visits to Angeal, while he sat comfortably on the couch across from Angeal speaking, he halted he speech, turning ever so slightly in the direction in which he could hear someone approaching and chose to bound for the door and off the porch, transforming with a liquid grace that was all his, and quickly hid in the lightly snow covered trees right outside of Angeal's home, leaving the man bewildered at his behavior but at the same time also understanding as it was actually law not to be seen and that he was an exception to the rule because Sephiroth had willed it so. Angeal slowly walked to the doorway seeing Aerith and Tifa approaching and waving at him in the distance to which he waved back though he was worried about how Sephiroth would handle more human and so soon.

Aerith felt the Sephiroth's power but couldn't really pinpoint it, to both men's relief as she abandoned standing in front of Angeal's porch looking a bit confused for a moment. Angeal took the moment to look over her head to the tree line where Sephiroth had went to bade him good afternoon until later.

Angeal was correct. He was not ready for more humans and exposure of this magnitude now. He also was not ready to go to his Mahkoreed either. Sephiroth found that he was quite miffed about not being able to stay with Angeal now and torn to return to his brother's or Father's ire today. He thought back to the nights spent in Angeal's rescue cave and after his rounds of the entirety of the forest, retraced his steps before the caves entrance.

He knew of a lake just north of the cave just in case he or Angeal ever needed it to clean items. For now, he would hunt. He knew the more dangerous prey lie inside the mountains themselves, the Nibel Dragons.

Angeal had had a pleasant conversation with both women that late afternoon when there was a knock at the door. Upon answering he saw none other than Zack standing at the door smile and peering over and under his extended arm on the door, to which he just laughed letting the young male in.

Sephiroth was going to be the death of Zachary for certain.

Zach had saw the young women starting up the trail they took every time around this time every week. He'd been going through much of the same will you/ won't you anguish about letting himself be known to the human female he liked. He had decided he would go about things differently and not rush head first in and get killed by Sephiroth by revealing himself to another human, instead spelling the parts of his body that had obviously made him look Fae: he rounded his ears, pulled back his internal magics dulling the glow of his eyes, and of course hid his tail. Instead of his normal wild child look, he made himself look as another hunter of the forest simply passing by that had also befriended Angeal along his journeys. The story sounded plausible and he would be able to finally see the girl and maybe even talk to her.

Sephiroth moved with the elegant corded grace, power, and speed that was all him in the deadly dance with the Nibel Dragon. Since dragons were scions of his father and his uncle, this was no fight to the death, but a way to assuage his frustrations. He had asked the surly mother Nibel Dragon respectfully in their ancient language for the spar and she being in subjection to Vincent and Chaos and respectful of him as the new King had told him she would take him on- but would not go easy on him regardless of who he was with a wide smile filled with many sharp teeth as she, too, had the stressors of being a first-time mother of a clutch of eggs not far from where they were. She figured if she could even just meet the King in a tie, she also would be sufficient in protecting her coming brood from other dragons and larger beast that would see them meals. Sephiroth understood and agreed to her offer and instantaneously released most his hidden powers, his eyes a tail tale sign, as they blazed with the unbridled energy and they both took to the air, the dragon in fight, Sephiroth levitating as he could do.

Masamune and large, sharp claw met in sparks over and over. Great spheres of fireballs flew overhead, to the left and right of Sephiroth and were deflected easily back with the flat of the longer than normal Odachi. The dragon, though large, moved with the same finesse as Sephiroth as she struck with her long tail and doubled back with her body. This mock battle went on until the sun had sunk below the horizon. They had indeed come to a stalemate.

Both landed on the nearby ledge to the dragon's lair. Sephiroth thanked her for her willingness to show her prowess and stated that he was certain she would make a wonderful parent to her younglings and with a bow he turned to seek to cleanse himself of the perspiration of the adrenaline and seek shelter perhaps in Angeal's cave.


	8. Chapter 8

The young women had been so enamored with the new guest all evening that they had almost forgotten whom they had come to see in the first place. Zachary had completely charmed the girls, specifically the one he really wanted. Angeal wasn't insulted that he was all but ignored for his actual third guest in his home by his original guest as he knew this meant a lot to him. He did take in the small changes Zach had did to hide his Fae origins. Somehow that made him a little sad but he understood until things were better between humans and Fae, if they ever improved, relationships like his and Sephiroth's and Zachary's and Tifa's if it was successful would have to remain out of the light.

As if they suddenly became aware of their surroundings they looked at the sky line out the window and realized they had talked all that time…purely to Zachary! Aerith and Tifa looked embarrassed, with Aerith blushing slightly, Tifa worrying her plush lower lip, and Zach looking also nervous even afraid as if he did something wrong as he absently scratched at the back of his neck and smiled at Angeal.

"Sorry 'Geal. I didn't mean to take all the limelight. I can see the ladies down the path if you like since I am certain they need to be getting home" Zach asked hopeful.

"Sure, if the ladies are okay with it, I see no problems. You know I trust you" Angeal said with a smile at his friend's eagerness. Besides the quicker they were gone, he could see where Sephiroth had gone. He had been staying with him for the last couple of nights since he refused to go to the castle yet. He had a good idea of where he might have been.

The women gave their happy, giddy agreement at their new escort down the path and with exchanged hugs, Zach and co. started down the porch and down the path.

After the crew was out of sight, he closed the door and headed in the direction he took to get to his cave.

Sephiroth had went into the cave briefly to take stock of what all was inside should other provisions be needed. He still couldn't shake his edginess. As soon as he was fully in the cave, it occurred to him the cave… was permeated with Angeal's natural musk scent which oddly seemed to calm him some and take the edge off. He surmised he just missed the man's company. He quickly lit all of torches and found some of the necessary bathing items likened to what he would use at his own palace. Once that was done, he was walking back to the lake not far from the cave to become refreshed from his earlier battle. Never one to have been ashamed of his form, he retracted his "hide" in the form of clothing leaving him bare to the world in the slightly warmer weather for Nibelheim.

With faster than normal steps, Sephiroth found himself at the edge of the water. Slowly and with purpose, he waded deeper into the water, his long silver hair trailing behind him like a veil upon the surface as the now the moon was beginning to rise. As he took a comfortable position, he went about warming the water around him as he went with his fire magic coming from his palms under the surface. Still being charged from his previous battle, his true elfin form was displayed. Antlers perched high atop his now drenched hair as several strands were tucked behind sharpened, pointed ears. Sephiroth's eyes showed as lit beacons in the dark as well, showing his power within and excellent night vision.

What made Sephiroth the most unique was simply his overall beauty and the fact that he was not conceited in the least about it. Oftentimes he seemed as if he were oblivious of how beautiful he really was. As he came up from a dip under the water truly enjoying the feel, he wasn't aware of the guest he had.

Angeal had first thought to check his cave and had not been incorrect in his assumption that Sephiroth had stopped off there for the night as the torches had been all lit. What piqued his interest was that some of his toiletries were gone for bathing…and Sephiroth's clothes laid at his feet. The thought that the man was without shield of clothing made Angeal temporarily dizzy at the thought. He quickly reined in his thoughts before they quickly plummeted somewhere very base since he had been so long and the man's appeal couldn't be denied.

He then started to go over all the pros and cons to staying in the cave for Sephiroth. If the man was indeed naked, that would mean he would have to come in naked and Angeal didn't think he was strong enough to deal with in such a small area. He might end up getting himself killed for not being able to control his own hands he thought to his own shame. He then thought about returning to the house and that also didn't sit well with him as he felt that Sephiroth would feel as though he didn't care enough to come after him after they were suddenly separated this afternoon by guest that didn't even pay attention to him, to which he chuckled to himself. That only left the plan of going and looking for a bathing Sephiroth…who would be naked, lathered up, and in a compromising position. He didn't know how sensitive the man was about his nudity but he figured it wasn't that much if he'd left his clothing here and walked to where he was certain he was as it was a close body of water from the cave.

When Angeal made it to the tree line surrounding the lake, he froze on the image before him.

There almost to the center of the lake, which Angeal knew to be deep enough you needed to swim in, was a very nude Sephiroth in all his glory. He'd pulled his hair long now gunmetal gray with water, hair over his left shoulder exposing an expanse of pure perfection.

Sephiroth's skin was almost as pale as the snow that blanketed the floor. He saw the antlers aloft Sephiroth's head as before, the long, smooth skinned neck connecting to strong and broad shoulders, the blades moving under the skin as the long and medium muscular arms rang out the water from Sephiroth's hair and began to plait the mass so that it could be loosely draped in his antlers to dry naturally. The sleek back continued down to what looked to be…a deer's tail. It made sense since that was what type of Fae Sephiroth was. Angeal wasn't concern about the tail as so much what lie right below it. Below the cottony and hide tail rest a nice and firm buttock of medium build that gently sloped giving a lifted, shapely look as the water level gently lapped at its gently cushioned cheeks. Firm thighs could be seen attached to the torso from the sides but nothing more.

Angeal seemed to choke on nothing but the air he breathed as his mouth was surely dry.

Sephiroth had realized it was Angeal that had found him and made no move to rush or to panic in his state of undress and turned around once his hair was as he wanted it to be.

Angeal could not breath. The front of his counterpart was just as stimulating as the back. Sephiroth simply smirked.

Much like his back, Sephiroth's chest and abdomen was also with medium musculature. He simply was neither to large and bulky in his mass nor was his wiry or waifish in his build. He truly was evenly matched in his proportions all over to match his androgynous features that were beautiful and handsome truly at the same time. Well, that was until looking down at his manhood. There Sephiroth was not a small or medium sized male. He was-large, on par for Angeal himself even in his more stockier ways.

Sephiroth's smirk had transformed into an all-out devilish smile at this point.

Angeal looked at his boots as if they were the most interesting things in the world from his embarrassment from his sheer gawking. He couldn't help it. How could Sephiroth expect him to help it looking…looking like that! Of all the females and males, he'd laid with, which were not many in the first place, Sephiroth had not one that could hold a candle to him.

"Have you had your fill of me?" Sephiroth said cocky with that infuriating smile on his face as he crossed his arms along his chest with a devil may care attitude for his blatant nudity and Angeal's current heart attack he was having from it.

"Hnn, I don't know much about human courting but wouldn't it only be fair if I were to see you as well? Besides, surely you need to bathe. I promise to leave you to your peace" Sephiroth said with a slightly mischievous grin.

Did Angeal hear him correctly? He wanted him to bathe with him for seeing him nude as well? Angeal was panicking. He didn't want to make a fool of himself. It just had been so long for him and well…Sephiroth was a God, no pun intended. He didn't even know if he was going up against other suitors or ex-lovers…did Sephiroth have any ex-lovers? He was so young even for being old. Could he truly be a virgin?

Sephiroth began to frown in concern that he'd did something wrong. Angeal had not responded favorably to his request, if anything the man looked beyond scared at the request to swim with him. Was he scarred beneath his clothing? Could he be even a eunuch? Did humans do that?

"You do not have to if you do not feel comfortable. I only thought with us becoming closer and with us striving to make this a bonding- "Sephiroth said but Angeal interrupted.

"No, no its not you. I want to, and I am, it's just…I am not a virgin and I am struggling because I am afraid I will do the wrong thing. It has been a long time for me and you are so, so beautiful and I don't really think you know it. I am trying to be a gentleman. Are there any suitors I have to worry about in "vying for your affections" as you worded it?" Angeal said looking genuine at Sephiroth.

"There are no others as I have never been touched. I have never felt the need to take or be taken" the until now was left hanging in the air.

"Very well then I understand. I know you are not a female so I will not treat you as such but I will be conscious of your status and what that means that you would even think of that being a possibility…with me" Angeal said as he began removing his own clothing, satisfied with Sephiroth's answer.

It was Sephiroth's time to be amazed at carefully shorn clothing revealing tan skin and rippling muscles as it went.

Though Angeal was only about two inches shorter than Sephiroth, his sheer body mass made up for it. Large, broad shoulders rotated working out small kinks out of his thick neck and shoulders.

Sephiroth's eyes were everywhere on his torso.

Angeal was a stunning specimen in his own right. His arms were long but thickly muscled so that they were proportioned to him. From his breast bone, down to his abdominal muscles, everything was pronounced and defined, showing the man's active life of farm and hunting life that kept him in top shape. His Adonis belt was pronounced in the now remaining underwear that Sephiroth had not realized was all that was left…until too they were now gone as well. Now Angeal stood before him on the water's edge looking like he was carved from the mountainside for all the strength his body spoke of. Slowly the eyes travelled along the powerful looking thighs and legs then veered over to its ultimate prize.

Angeal looked at Sephiroth's focus immediately was all for him at first whisper of removal of clothing. He watched all the innocence of such a powerful and old creature play out in those unique eyes as they roamed his body. He even had the immense pleasure of seeing his effect on Sephiroth before getting to him in those eyes as the lids slightly lowered and whether the other was aware or not, he'd dipped the tip of a very pink tongue out to slightly moisten his lower lip, eyes hazy with some released emotion. Yes, now was also very aware of his effect on him…as he eyed his very generous and very bare erection.

Sephiroth was unaware how long he'd been locked on that specific spot or even why he was so filled with all these emotions suddenly. They were overwhelming as they were wanted. They were frightening as they were needed. He felt he was a living paradox. Above all else, he wanted Angeal…and in that way.

Angeal had started to wade through the water, surprised that it held warmth as he knew it was not a natural hot spring and had bathe he a many of time before. As he neared Sephiroth, he noticed the depth was getting so one would have to wade. Any further out to say where Sephiroth currently was, and it would be a swimming situation.

"How are you doing that, you know what I know you are powerful so- "and Sephiroth interrupted him coming back to himself.

"I have heated the water as much as I could with my power and I am levitating. I can fly" he said gliding through the water to the edge of where Angeal knew it to be the dropping off point, allowing him to come closer to the other safely and without having to employ the dogpaddle.

Angeal knew that the other man was full of so many surprises. He was now painfully erect and it seemed no relief for it until he was out of Sephiroth's presence or he could be alone for a time, maybe after Sephiroth had fallen asleep. He just couldn't will it away in his presence and something inside him fiercely wanted to take that innocence away from Sephiroth with his body and his body alone. But he meant what he said in that he would be a gentleman, even if it almost killed him.

Instinctively, Sephiroth looked down at Angeal's awaiting mouth drawn by some unknown force. He knew what Angeal had said about him being hard to deny since he was experienced. He saw the proof of how much he affected him on his own. He had politely taken his warning and stored it. What if he decided he didn't want him to stop? How would he ever know unless they truly behaved as lovers do in the first place and that was Sephiroth's sound reasoning on the matter.

Angeal had turned and found the remaining cleaning supplies and began bathing thoroughly, enjoying the feel of the heated water even as Sephiroth moved along him plotted and schemed to enact a plan he'd created in that short time span.

Zachary was about to break through the forest line leading to the main road to the town when there was a howl nearby the group. Zachary took up a defensive stance, quickly unsheathing his Broadsword from his back. No sooner than he had and the girls moved in closer to him did a pack of a dozen Nibel Wolves come from the shadows of the trees. The obvious alpha male and leader of the pack was out front had a wicked scratch down its right eye, leaving it with only one reflective yellow eye in the moonlight along with its brethren. Zach knew this wolf…and it knew him from a previous scrap.

He had cost it it's eye.

He sorely wanted to transform but he knew that Sephiroth would have his head for too many more infractions on their rules and way of life. Zach squared his shoulders and prepared to take them with his full power. He quickly lifted the spelled areas of his body to release his power fully. It was dark enough that that would not be seen plus he was hoping and praying that the fight alone would side attract them enough. Aerith, as before did feel the shift in power but again did not know exactly from where it came but knew enough to hang back and provide potions for healing if need be. Tifa was a total different case as she had martial arts training. In that moment, the band jumped forth and it was all out pandemonium of fur, teeth, and claws.

After a grueling battle, Zach had been victorious but was gravely injured in the process. With the last of his magic for now, he spelled his non-human traits and tried to stumble along to get the girls home as he had downed seven of the beast and the other five had turned away and ran. He walked with great difficulty bracing on his sword that was sheath again like a crutch.

As they made it into town, finally Zach lost consciousness. Unbeknownst to them all, one of those wolves had followed. When it saw that Zack would no longer pose a threat, it leapt with all it might at the pink clad girl…only to meet a face full of gloved fist and a firm and solid kick in the ribs that shattered with the impact and had the wolf skittering across the square limp. Tifa walked over to the beast, the same with the scarred eye, and with one well-placed stomp on its head in her steel toe boots, put the creature out of its misery.

"Hurry Aerith, let's try to get him into the house" Tifa stated running back up to Aerith, startling her from the previous scene and into action as one took him under the arms and the other took his legs and they half carried, half dragged him into their home.

Their house was a nice little flat with three rooms; one room was a guest room. Zach was quickly placed in the bed. Clothing was removed from him and after cleaning supplies were gathered, his wounds were assessed. He had a large bite in his side, two others on his right leg and one on his left arm. For how grievous they were, strangely he wasn't profusely bleeding. In fact, it looked to be already healing. The biggest concern was that he was running a very high temperature. They quickly cleaned and bandaged him, mindful as could be of his modesty though what they could both see he was attractive all over. Tifa kept trying to advert her eyes and get the job done as soon as possible. With an ice pack placed along his head, they promised to take shifts to check on him throughout the night.

Zach tossed and turned initially, sweating profusely from the healing fever that was normal of his body when healing at fast pace. The reason it was slowed is he fought not to transform subconsciously. But he was weak and tired and he couldn't do this anymore. It was affecting the Lifestream in his body that naturally occurred. His conscious finally conceded and with it so did his form…leaving an overly large black dire wolf curled into a ball on its side in the bed.


	9. Chapter 9

Aerith had taken the first watch, allowing for Tifa to see to any aches she had from using muscles she hadn't in a while though she knew the other woman was very formidable when she wanted to be. She had had a great martial arts teacher named Zangan, he had done wonders for the girl's self-esteem and spirit when her mother passed when she was but a girl. As Aerith rounded the corner coming from the living room where she had been crumpled on the couch watching late night B movies, she felt that great pull of power again. She felt it permeate Zach's temporary room and she let herself in. Both hands covered her mouth a second too late as small yelp was emitted but the rest of the shocked yet awe scream was swallowed as she looked on at the vision before her.

There, on the middle of the bed, laid a huge black beast where Zachary's body had been.

Zach had heard her yelp and jolted awake, glowing eyes blazing at the peak of his power as he went to lift his arm to his head…then quickly realizing he had no arm to do so, well not in the sense of what he had been trying to accomplish. He whimpered that converted to a long whine that had Aerith jolting in her place up against the wall. Zach swung his large head around still feeling a bit drowsy from the quick heal and rebuild of Lifestream within him and saw the sheer terror on Aerith's face. He knew he'd unconsciously transformed to his natural form in distress and tried to make himself smaller somehow and at the same time move less, making the whole situation quite comical if one of them wasn't so terrified of what she was seeing and the other wasn't so very guilty at this point for not just being honest if it was going to lead to this. He was quickly building enough to shift but he was on the cusp; he wasn't quite there and it was unfortunate.

Aerith gently grabbed the door and slipped from the room with slow and deliberate steps never taking her eyes off the large, dark creature with glowing eyes. As soon as she was in the hallway with the door firmly closed, she ran like a madman to Tifa's room frightening her from her sleep in her own distress.

Tifa woke up slowly and tried to clear her eyes and listened as the other went on to explain what she saw in Zach's bed. Tifa gave her a deadpan look that said that she clearly was tired and had been seeing things or had seen one too many late-night horror movies. Tifa threw on her shirt over her breast under her comforter as she slept naked and put on some shorts as she allowed the babbling, upset girl to lead her to the room. Once at the room, Aerith crack the door and Tifa made to just go in but the girl simply flapped about and shushed her so she peered in the room or risk the other's wild behavior.

Zach hear the door and lifted his head towards the sound of the door. Tifa looked directly at him and gasped. He was sad. He didn't want the one he cared for to fear him. Tifa pulled the door fully open at length causing Aerith to squawk at length in protest. Tifa carefully stepped into the room, having turned on the light and stared at the magnificent beast.

The black fur seemed to absorb the light of the room and perched on the large wolf head-was currently flattened ears. Oh, the eyes… the eyes looked as if they glowed in a haze of amethyst. Instead of fear in her eyes, there was confusion and awe. She had been born and raised in Nibelhiem so Nibel wolves did not frighten her, though she was confused as to why one was in Zach's bed and not Zachary and why it was at least three times larger than any she'd ever saw.

Finally, with one great surge in power, he was ready now. It was as if a ripple had gone over water, the shifting was complete and Zach was before them. After glancing at both women seeing each's different response of awe and disbelief, he said with a small smile in his voice "Surprise."

Page Break

Sephiroth swam around Angeal like a predator circling his pray. With each pass, the water that surrounded Angeal was caressing as it remained warm, no doubt from the magic that Sephiroth was putting off. He smiled at the other man taking in his sneaky ways as he had sat down on the edge of the deep end of the lake.

"You know, I do believe I prefer you with your hair down. I know it isn't my place but it is so unique in color and beautiful long, I can't help but want to touch it" Angeal mused aloud causing Sephiroth to still in front of him and consider his wording. If he was to mate with Angeal than it was his place to say whatever he wanted. That it was a favorable compliment in a request did not hurt.

Angeal had some point closed his eyes knowing yet that Sephiroth was very near. His eyes opened at a distant splash at which he realized that Sephiroth had let down his long-braided hair that was air drying but now lazily floated behind the male like a veil of moonlight. Angeal sat up straighter considering the deviously smirking face of the other male. Angeal could not look away from Sephiroth's lips, their dewiness and natural flush. He decided that he had waited long enough and it seemed now or never if he was to show how much the other man meant to him.

Angeal at this point did move from the cusp in the water and waded over to Sephiroth that was just in front of him. He took in all Sephiroth's features: the pale skin and the even longer and paler hair and eyebrows, those cattish eyes now glowing almost a malachite green in the darkness that betrayed the others excitement and arousal, and the light pink lips curved in a look of dare, and those long pointed elfin ears. He couldn't wait any longer and he secured his large, calloused hands along shoulders, sliding down to the arms warm to the touch that remained so even in the cool air, adjusted Sephiroth's face just so, and he kissed him.

Sephiroth's eyes blew wide in shock but just for a moment before they listlessly closed as took in those feelings being given and gave a great deal back as well. Before long the kiss was deepening, after several breakaways for air. On the last draw back, each male was winded, as if they just could not find the air for their lungs.

Sephiroth knew right then he did not want to stop. He knew now no matter whatever would come he would face straight on for this human male. His emotions were alight as was his body. If anyone was to take him, let it be someone that knew of them, of what his people stood for.

"Sephiroth…again I say that I want you and I make that no secret. I am…a simple man but I am a gentleman. Please tell me to stop if you do not want me" Angeal implored, knowing that kiss was becoming his undoing and Sephiroth would have to choose and soon if today be the day or a line would be crossed.

Sephiroth stood there looking at Angeal, just as excited, just as hard, as he touched over his lips at the new foreign feeling of the kiss that had his body in an uproar. That simple touch and he really found he could not trust his words in depth. So being the man he had been raised to be, he simply spoke from the heart and kept it simple and to the point.

In a voice dropped in decibel due to his arousal he simply asked "Where and how would you have me?"

That question and the way that Sephiroth looked while saying it, completely willing and novice to this all, went straight to Angeal's dick. They could go to the cave but it wouldn't have all the proper supplies he needed or they could go back to the house which was a small walk from here. There were choices to be made and he wanted things to be perfect for Sephiroth's first time with him, no matter how blindingly turned on he was.

Sephiroth seemed to know what Angeal was trying to weigh out or had a good guess and his face flamed with slight embarrassment but he pushed through it as a man on a mission would and said his sentence completely serious with no hiccups whatsoever.

"I thought you might be done with your guest at some point and come and search for me as I have been within your home domicile the last few evenings. While I do not know much about mating, I procured things to make the process more… gentle back at the cave" Sephiroth said, redder than before at finishing his sentence, not able to meet Angeal's eyes anymore at this point. What in all of Gaia would the man think of him preparing for him to have his way with him?

Angeal's brows lifted into his hairline at his understanding of what Sephiroth was saying.

Sephiroth had arranged to be with him on an intimate level. He had not been joking when he said he wanted him. At this realization, both seemed to move with more urgency from the water, Angeal grabbing up his clothing but not placing them on his body, as they swiftly moved back to the cave.

Sometime later in the cave had found Sephiroth on his stomach with his ass in the air, Angeal moving at a fast, firm, and steady pace within his depths as Sephiroth pushed back and Angeal pushed forward. He felt so hot and so aroused and though he had tried, he couldn't control the spilt Elvish and Common that came forth along with the sounds of his ardor. Angeal held him in place with nothing more than a firm hand on his hip and one in his antlers as he rocked into him fully draped along his back which caused a friction against his tail which had him crying out at the dual sensations.

This was to be their third round of coupling.

When they had entered the cave, they had mock fought as was normal among male Deer Fae, especially in same sex couplings in a form of fighting for dominance. Angeal didn't seem to question it, just quickly moved to see what was the best way to subdue the now sexually peaked Sephiroth. He'd gotten lucky and those long arms were pinned behind Sephiroth who now writhed beneath him. He had then been laid on the furs and the concoction which Sephiroth spoke earlier had been located and put to good use.

With loving hands along his hot and heaving body and even more so patient mouth along the other's genitals, Angeal had prepared Sephiroth for his first sexual experience. Sephiroth had come with a sharp cry during the preparation, Angeal's mouth proving to be warm and persistent but also allowing him to loosen the other to where he would be able to enter Sephiroth's inner sanctum. Silvery hair laid this way and that under the squirming male and his great, long body bowed as he was breeched for the first time.

Though Angeal was gentle, he was a large man and he knew it would not be without slight pain on entry the first time as was apparent by the silvery tear that travelled down from one of the corners of Sephiroth's eyes and down his cheek on an otherwise serene face. Angeal kissed the wayward tear away and waited for the okay to continue and when those strong and impossibly long legs found a home on his hips, he knew that was the sign. He began with short, strong strokes within the other man.

Before long, the pace had picked up and Sephiroth's breathing was absolutely ragged as he wore a healthy blush along his face, neck, and chest and shook and trembled from all the new stimulus. All his elfin features were present and as he prepared for his first bodily crisis, the room swelled with his power. Even the wall torches burned brighter and higher as if they, too, read his feelings. With a euphoric moan that bordered a soulful cry, Sephiroth was releasing in ropes of his essence against his and Angeal's muscular chest, as the other man continued to extend the new-found pleasure through Sephiroth through Angeal's continued movement chasing after his own release. Wrist still captured in one of Angeal's hands above his head, they kissed deeply and that was all it took to see him over the edge, his great body shuddering and seizing from his release.

The second experience found Sephiroth face to face with Angeal as Sephiroth rode the man's sexual organ while nestled in his lap.

Long arms were thrown around the large, thick neck of Angeal as Sephiroth's head was thrown back. It was the most glorious feelings in the world and why he'd question why he'd had waited, though he honestly couldn't have imagined anyone other than Angeal making him feel like this. Finger nails scratched along Angeal's back as the new position also gave a new angle driving him insane. He couldn't stop the sounds he made and though they would have been horribly embarrassing in any other situation, he felt he wanted Angeal to see him, hear him fall apart from his ministrations. Angeal fared no better in Sephiroth's bodily embrace as they had found a rhythm, writhing as one. This time, Angeal took Sephiroth in hand and stroked along with his internal movements.

Sephiroth's eyes rolled back as he moaned out in pleasure of again another type of dual stimulation. Angeal then remembered about Sephiroth's tail. Gently disengaging his hand from Sephiroth's hip, he snaked that hand around to caress the tail as if were another sensitive area. Well, it was a sensitive area indeed.

Sephiroth's stomach muscles immediately fired off from the now third stimuli. He had no choice but to lay his head down on Angeal's shoulder and just enjoy the feeling of love throughout him. Within no time, he was yielding again, eyes large and dilated, unseeing, mouth agape in a slacked "o" as he rode out those pleasures.

Back to their third mating, Sephiroth finished with a shout as he came pearly white along the furs below him, Angeal following right behind him. He'd closed his eyes and attempted to regulate his breathing after so much activity. Angeal had cleaned them both tenderly afterwards.

This had been a night for so many of his first and though it was not in some others large and fancy dressed bed, it was with whom he now realized he did indeed love. He vaguely felt Angeal adjusting him and his hair into a more comfortable position as he now laid on Angeal's shoulder and chest, his hair acting as a blanket of sorts to their still warmed skin on the cleaner bearskin blankets. Angeal and he began to slip into lull of sleep.

Neither would have been aware of the red caped man with glinting golden gauntlet slowly balling up at his side as he stared with an equally intense crimson glowing glare at the entrance of the cave.

He had come to find Sephiroth and he would talk sense into his beloved son he thought as he seemed to melt into the pervading darkness all around him.


	10. Chapter 10

Tifa stood in awe at the foot of the bed as Aerith hung back some from the two of them, also taking in all in.

"Zachary? How? W-what exactly are you? Wait that sound so rude…" Tifa said looking down as she scuffed one of her toes gently against the area rug on the floor as the worried her lip before she all and once came to sit in front of him on the bed.

Zach gave a self-depreciating smile at the question, scared of how to proceed at this point. He perked when he saw that Tifa had moved closer to him, a sign she was not afraid of him. He didn't think he could deal with her fear after doing all this for her, to get to know her. She'd started to shoot off rapid questions and abruptly stopped at asking his true nature because of how it sounded. She plopped down on the bed with him, which caused Zach to start and Aerith to squeak slightly.

He tentatively reached out for one of Tifa's hands, wanting to touch her, but afraid that would be the where the line was crossed. Tifa saw what he was trying to do as he had begun withdrawing, his head down. It was wrong to see him downhearted, no matter what kind of being he was. She took his larger hand into both of her hands.

He looked up immediately at her with his vivid violet-blue eyes and smiled a heartbreaking smile at her, one that Tifa had an understanding was just for her. Aerith had even relaxed as the "old" Zach they were used to was before them.

"Where to start" he said at length, as he scratched the back of his neck nervously with his other hand and smiled.

"I am a wolf Fae, servant of the Queen of the Fae Lucrecia, scion of Minerva, Goddess of Gaia as you know. Sephiroth is our king and the song of Lucrecia and Vincent, God of Creation" he said in an even pace. "I have two forms," he said freeing his hand and lifting his arms, releasing any spells on his natural elfin form to show the females, including his ever-present tail, glowing eyes, and pointed ears. "And this one," he said and with a flicker where he'd laid again was the large black dire wolf from before.

Aerith gasped in wonder with her hand over her chest but did not back away. Tifa did not even start as she sat right next to him in the bed as this all occurred. She was truly amazed. She reached out a tentative hand and gently ran it through the coarse black wolf fur, feeling the packed muscle that quaked and bunched with power below her fingertips as she burrowed deep with the fur. She then rubbed a hand along the long muzzle of the wolf's large face to which he nuzzled into her hand, which caused her to smile. Aerith simply took a seat in a nearby chair, her sensibilities exhausted for the day.

With the same flicker, as before, Zach was Zach once more, albeit with his elfin features and his black tail in his lap. When it was all done, Zach simply sat very still looking on expectantly for more questions…or even damnations, as he internally steeled his nerves and heart.

"Why did you do it? Surely there is some sort of code to your people otherwise I am certain humans would be aware of you a lot sooner than now" Tifa inquired with true worry on her face.

Aerith surprisingly was the one to step in.

"He had no choice. In his injury protecting us, and in his delirium, he reverted to his natural state, which is against laws…isn't it? Zachary, will you be alright after this incident?" Aerith asked genuinely worried for her new friend.

Zach again had lower his head, arms crossed along his broad chest. He suddenly looked up with a look of sheer determination and happiness.

"No matter what happens to me, either by my king or by my kin, it was worth it. This will sound insane but I have wanted to talk to you Tifa for what you call months. I have saw you come and leave when you visit Angeal…but I was never brave enough to let you both know that I was that dire wolf that accompanied him. You…are right Ayr-ith, there are rules set by the Sovereign Father Vincent due to unrest between our peoples, but…I wanted, no needed to get to get to know you Tifa. I would risk it again" he said finishing with a beautiful smile.

Aerith looked at Tifa and Tifa looked on at Zachary for a long while, taking in all his features with her wine-colored eyes. So, she had a secret admirer and he was a fairy tale creature that was beautiful dream come to life.

"I…I want you to come to my den, meet my father. He will be gruff but he will not harm either of you, if you chose to come. I do have a fraternal brother named Cloud that for all my dark pigmentation, he is fair haired and a lighter colored blue of eyes. He is a white wolf Fae. You do not have to be romantically interested in either of us, but come get to know us" Zach said, unknowingly his tail had begun to wag in happiness like a common canine.

Again, the girls looked at each other and they simply shrugged at each other and simply laughed at the situation. Stranger things could happen but both agreed that he would rest for another day before taking off on this strange adventure.

Sephiroth languidly turned over among the bearskins, his own skin still devoid of clothing being pleasantly stimulated by the feeling and him feeling quite relaxed after a wonderful experience with Angeal. He could never imagine it would feel as it had and his heart leapt in joy at having someone like Angeal as a mate.

Mate.

Angeal was now his mate. He had made him his mate, human or not and he felt not one qualm at all about the situation. He rolled back again to his side and was greeted with the man's visage being bathed from beams of light from above. He looked peaceful and serene, surely a mirror to how he felt. For once he felt whole.

Sephiroth would mend things with his brother and would let his father what had occurred. Even if need be, he would deal with his uncle's volatile wrath as well. He decided he would go and bathe in the pool out the forest. He left his lover there temporarily to go and freshen up.

As he cleansed himself of the night before activities, he felt him before he saw him, and like lighting was out of the water and was dressed in his pants at least and his hair lay over his shoulder moist at the tips as he had bound it up into his antlers, not fully washing it, the ends skimming the surface of the water.

"So, I have found you, my wayward son. Why is it I have not laid eyes on you in over a fortnight Sephiroth? Were you intending on staying away from the castle, continue to aggrieve your family, and shirk off your duties as King in light of your recent mating to that human male?" Vincent said very succinct as he stood towering over his son, arms folded under his cape folded, his red eyes intense and angled at his son.

Sephiroth's eyes widen and he flushed with shame as he immediately looked down at the ground not daring to look up. Of course, his father would know of his whereabouts. His mother would not withhold it and his father was not without his own powers as a God as well.

Sephiroth spoke the truth and from his heart on the matter as he knew his father was not only hurt but very disappointed in his behavior. He'd never strayed from his will ever in his life, not even once.

"Sovereign Father, please believe that I did not set out to deceive you or the Sovereign Mother, nor to cause upset among my realm, neither among my kin. I only set out to monitor the human due to history. I did this for the better part of all of winter into the beginning I… lost myself in it along the way, became infatuated and when I was in need in the past storm because I could not shift into my form because of his presence, he cared for me since you know of my feebleness in the cold when I cannot uniform my true form. The truth of his origin and history came to light that night; it gave birth to attraction and love" Sephiroth said closing his eyes at the pleading quality he hated that had snuck into his once strong voice for his father to understand.

He didn't think he could bear seeing a disappointed or angered emotion on his father's face. He wouldn't lie. It had been a cumulative process to get to this point with Angeal and he would not back down now.

Vincent did flare his nostrils to stay his anger but he had already known all this information. He had seen Sephiroth's red string dancing in the wind, tangled among the trees of this forest and knew it was attached to someone here as he was privy to see as God of Creation. He had traced it down in his curiosity and nothing more-to that human's house.

He had initially wanted to destroy it, burn it to the ground with the man in it as well. Sephiroth was his beloved child. He had already lost two to…to these greedy creatures. But when he had saw the man…it was like he was thrust back eight years prior. It was indeed the same man. He had not harmed anyone. He had witnessed their families despair at the loss of their kin-yes, he knew he hid even as he mourned Kadaj and Loz's slain bodies. He had watched the man stumble out of their ruined home, falling and vomiting at the sight he'd saw.

Lucrecia had also confirmed exactly what Sephiroth had said, if not verbatim to how things would come to pass. From then on, he too was vigilant of the man's comings and goings, and aware of both Zachary's and Sephiroth's machinations. He was not looking forward to greeting his old friend Cid with news that his son also fancied a human female but this needed to be contained. He would also handle Zachary's meddling privately when the dust settled.

The man for all pretense and purpose seemed to be just as benign as he had been before, never wreaking havoc in his wake. Lucrecia had spoken of his soul, his devout worship she could feel from him to him at length as well.

He knew that should the mating go through it would be more trouble than it would be worth. Sephiroth would have to watch his mate die within a blink of an eye by Fae standards and it would be hard for him as Fae did mate for life typically. He'd been against it, wanted to tell his son to leave the man be, but in the end, he knew it was all for naught. The Fates controlled aspects that were even above him. All he and the boy's mother could do now was be supportive in any way possible at this point, try to shy Chaos away from the situation as his brother was still…bitter about his own aspects of humankind.

"While I do not have to agree with it, it is done and cannot be changed. It is in the Fates hands. I still believe you will be an excellent King as this bears no merit on your actions beforehand, but you will reunite with your brothers now" Vincent said with finality. "I will also speak with this…man you have taken as a mate as well. He will need to know that there are certain things he will be responsible and aware of as you are his submissive" Vincent again said curt.

Sephiroth blush a brighter red at the implications of his Father being anywhere near or saying any sentences to Angeal and him talking freely of him being…the submissive. Instead he swallowed his embarrassment and took it the chiding.

"Yes Father" Sephiroth said from his still knelt position.

Vincent tapped him on the shoulder with his gauntlet hand in indication he could rise to his full height and he did so. In a rare burst of emotion, Vincent simply hugged Sephiroth all the while with his quite neutral face and finally released him, causing Sephiroth to give a small smile. He was happy to have his father but dreaded this meeting between him and Angeal.

After coming back to the cave and greeting a confused and worried Angeal, one fully dressed and had been about to set out to search for him, Sephiroth simply crossed his arms and shook his head at the oddly adorable notion that his beloved had been worried about him, as if it was truly needed. Still though, Sephiroth felt a strange warmth at the action of the man and quickly moved forward and kissed the other on the lips silencing any questions of his whereabouts as Angeal took in his overall disposition and distinct lack of clothing and slight moisture to his hair and he knew where he'd been. He'd just as quickly registered that they were not alone as formidable form filled the entry of the cave in a rather familiar but unfamiliar cape where eyes of the said hue glowed and pierced the low lighting in the area.

Angeal gulped rather loudly but moved around Sephiroth brandishing his sword as if out of nowhere as if to protect him from the intruder that simply watched on impassively as the facial features of the one in the entry were not clear and concise. Sephiroth didn't know if he should be offended for his manhood and Kingship by the action, flattered by his mate's attentiveness, or terrified for his folly of pulling his sword on his father.

Vincent simply looked on impassively. With a gentle huff, Vincent was turning away, cape bellowing on an unnatural wind behind him as he walked into the clearing awaiting his offspring and his intended. Sephiroth quickly gathered his clothing and placed it on as well as his booting, choosing as before to leave his antlers as they were exposed and his hair down and his own sword at his hip.

They began aimless walk towards Angeal's home.

"Who is this person Sephiroth?" Angeal whispered to his mate at his side as they followed the black leather and red velvet caped man along the known worn path that he'd known to be towards his home. Something inside him told him that he knew that it was kin, that he even knew this man to be very important but it wouldn't hit him, his mind still muddled from their night of passion the night beforehand.

"The man before us is…my father. You have saw him beforehand in your youth and when I was younger as you have described him to me perfectly from your recollection of our shared past. He has come to speak with us…with you on our mating" Sephiroth said looking at his mate and noticing all the tanned color drain from his face and his smooth walking stumble a bit as finally those pieces that were floating around and screaming in his conscious saying "you know this person" hit him between the eyes. Sephiroth looked concerned but he knew he could do nothing as this would be a test of Angeal's mettle by his father. As quickly as he stumbled, Angeal's stride steadied again and he inhaled and held his head up high, determined to see whatever this was, though.

Seeing Angeal square his shoulders and take on the challenge of his father's impromptu visit and so soon after their mating made Sephiroth feel more and more safe and secure in the decision he made in the man.


	11. Chapter 11

Across the forest, a large white wolf was moving in and out of trees a high speed looking like a true spirit of the forest. Glowing sapphire eyes looked to and fro as the large headed beast moved over crushed leaves covered in light snow flurry. The scent that its snout was chasing was becoming stale with the cool air and time was of the essence. There was an urgency to the movement as the muscles bunched and fired here and there. The wolf skid to a halt as it came across the remains of a battle and carnage. There was the tang of blood…his blood on the air. With a snort, the wolf turned and bound off in direction in which it was the strongest. Again, the wolf stopped as it came to the edge of a town. The scent of blood still ran heavy and seemed to permeate from one of the houses just up ahead. The Dire wolf moved from paw to paw in a nervous gesture as if unsure of what to do but clearly needing to get to the source of the blood in the air.

Aerith had retired from Zachary's room to allow Tifa more time with him and had taken that opportunity to make lunch for the group. It was apparent that is eyes were all for her and she was fine with that. She had had a sneaking suspicion that he had feelings for her outside of just "friendship" as his eyes were very expressive in both forms as they both now had gotten over the initial shock. As she prepared the last sandwich and glass of lemonade when there was a knock on the door. She didn't think it would be Angeal as she was certain the man would have gone off looking for Sephiroth after they had left, his secret wasn't so secret either when it came to those two. She didn't think anyone could have needed her unless it was for the floral shop but she didn't fuss she simply washed her hands and dried them quickly and went to answer the door. She was met with a peculiar, yet provocative sight at the door. There, on the stoop, stood a male no taller than about 5'8 in height with wildly spiked hair in chocobo blonde yellow with piercing sapphire eyes. He carried a strange air around him as well as Zachary and Sephiroth did and she wouldn't be shock to find that he was Fae either.

"Where is he?" the male said in their signature accent in a soft, low tenor while looking straight on into Aerith's face but after while couldn't hold her emerald gaze. He shuffled from leg to leg on the porch and rubbed against his neck in a very Zach manner. He had to keep his cool. He couldn't come straight out and say hey by the way I tracked my brother's blood scent here, I know you have him, I'm worried. Oh, and by the way I am a Fae. Well Shit. How was he even supposed to explain how he got here, to her door specifically looking for Zachary. He crossed his arms and began to flush, out of frustration or something else, it was uncertain but he knew he wouldn't be able to meet those eyes again. He began to angst.

"Sorry for being gruff. Look... I've been looking for my brother...door to door. I think... he's been hurt. He's been gone from our home for some, um-" he thought about what humans called sun-moon cycles. "…Days. He's been gone for about four days. I cannot even reach our mutual… friend Sephiroth to ask if he has saw him. This is not like him or Sephiroth and I am worried" he said at length while still looking down, still unable to look the human woman in the face.

Aerith mentally pieced together that, yes, this indeed was a Fae and if Zach's description was correct, this was Cloud, his fraternal twin brother. They were like night and day. Aerith shook herself from her internal musings and invited the man in at length.

He was a pretty little fellow If it hadn't been for his stout and muscular nature, his effeminate facial features would have had him come off as a female. He had done much like Zach had did initially by hiding all the telltale signs of him being a Fae though his brother had already told on him. Aerith led the way to Zach's room as Cloud's eyes were on everything in the house, taking in every detail and then settling back on the form in front of him as it swayed back and forth. This caused him to blush more furiously and he could feel it.

Aerith moved aside once the door was opened so that Cloud could enter the strange room inside the overall domicile. He saw a woman speaking very lively with hair as dark as Zach's on what looked like a tall pile of furs.

Zach immediately turned to Cloud as he entered the room, instinctively feeling his twin's energy.

For how inconspicuous Cloud was, desperate to blend in even as his nerves were frayed with his first time being around humans, Zachary laid on the bed completely revealed to these human women, which caused his mouth to hang open slightly in dismay and confusion. Sephiroth would kill Zachary for certain and if not Sephiroth, Sovereign Chancellor Vincent or Chaos would. He'd always knew that his lack of commonsense would tear them apart.

Zach could read the incredulous look on Cloud's face and he faltered a bit in his smile, looking wounded and the female closest to him looked at his face and then to the newcomer, somehow feeling protective of Zach.

It hadn't been his fault this time honestly.

The dark-haired female vaulted off the bed and front of the other brother with both hands on her hips staring up into his face with as much disappointment as Cloud himself had been giving to Zach. Zach looked at the two sizing each other up, Aerith covering her mouth to not blatantly laugh as she didn't know how hair triggered the newcomer was, and Zachary lost it for them both in peals of laughter, instantly lightening the room's atmosphere.

Back across town in Angeal's living room sat Sephiroth and Angeal on one of the couches as Vincent had perched on the very edge of his across from them, offered teacup complete with tea dangling precariously from between the index finger and thumb of his clawed gauntlet hand, as he stared directly straight on at Angeal. The man thought he would melt into the cushions of the sofa but he did have Sephiroth by his side and that marginally made his father less…scary.

Vincent already had known how Angeal's heart condition was. He was aware his very being could incite fear, there was no help for that and the man would have to deal with it if was to have any of his respect. He stared at him for a few tenser moments before he noticed that Sephiroth's energy pulsed, causing him to look directly at his son instead where he could see that Sephiroth was less than amused by his intimidation tactics but allowed for it since he knew that it was their way to test if someone was worthy. Sephiroth was no mere subject as he often forgot…but the King and with it the mate would have responsibilities to the realm as well. It mattered not if Angeal was human.

"You have taken my son and mated him. What are your intentions now that you have had his flesh?" Vincent said, not mincing words finally after the long stare down, his low and deep timbre of voice filling every nook and cranny of that little establishment and Angeal sat up straighter looking at the man…the God eye to eye.

Sephiroth lightly blushed but his face remained impassive as he knew this conversation was for Angeal and Angeal alone with his father.

"I…have. I intend to keep him by my side as my true mate. I remember our shared history…and his heartache. I am a man of honor. I would never cast him aside after this as I gave him every option to walk away from me as a gentleman because of our…differences" Angeal said at length.

"So, you know of his nature, of his true power. He outranks you and many other because of how he was bred. He surpasses all in leaps and bounds and not in just in matters of the flesh, human" Vincent said focusing that glowing carmine gaze directly on Angeal looking for a hint of anger or jealousy from his taunting words.

"I agree, Sovereign" Angeal said at length with a look of confused happiness on his face when he took one of Sephiroth's hands into his own while looking at the man next to him but continuing to speak to Vincent. Vincent did raise an eyebrow at the proper title used for him and allowed him to continue.

"I also don't know what brought him to me. I am, as you said a human. I will cause him more pain in the long run than joy, seeing me age rapidly as he barely changes a year. Our memories will be severely eclipsed by my limitations because I am not even Fae… I know that I love him, have loved him since we truly talked began knowing each other. I hate that I have taken his heart but I will also uphold his honor and his affections and not question it either. If he will have me, then that is good enough. If I must work to prove myself, I will do that to with the limited strength that I have for the Goddess and her Scion Lady Lucrecia, that had always been my bond" Angeal said, bending to kiss the top of one of Sephiroth's pale, long fingered hands.

Vincent at length sat back on the strange furniture ruminating on the information given by the man, and even took a cautious sip of the "tea", finding that it was much like the draught that Cid, his friend drank all the time. He still needed to address what his boys were up to after he had dealt with his own.

"It will be difficult as all will not welcome you due to our histories with each other" Vincent said, leaving the sentence unfinished after laying dainty cup down on the small table before him and crossing his arms again. He could see the man seemed forthright, he just would have a hard way to go. He had to admit though seeing his son genuinely happy was wonderful though. He knew Sephiroth could balance life and role easily once he was used to it too. He turned his attention to Sephiroth and spoke this time.

"Sephiroth, once you have mended with your brother, you will both come to the castle to officially bound to each other. While Angeal you will never obtain some of the aspects that bonding Fae to Fae would yield, you would be stronger as Sephiroth's strength would be lend to you via your bond. You would see your agility and overall handling differ greatly as the Lifestream would connect to you as another, lesser creature of it" Vincent explained.

They spoke in length of Angeal's history and what he'd remembered from that day eight years prior. Vincent's hardened as he spoke on the subject. Angeal thought he had offended but he realized much like Sephiroth, once you got past their unique eye colors, their emotions were held there very raw to see. Vincent had been a man still grieving for his family and most likely would for the rest of his unending existence.

After all was said Sephiroth decided that he would indeed return to the castle this day with his father to attempt to work on things with Yazoo though it pained him to be away from Angeal so soon. He also knew he had to get back to being the King that he had been, not some doe-eyed, love sick simpleton as attack could come at any time and he still meant to have his revenge. Before Vincent followed Sephiroth, he turned to Angeal.

"Sephiroth is…unique. With Fae men, if the circumstances arise, especially in royalty, a male can produce an heir. While I do not believe that this will happen because you are human and he Fae, there is always a probability. Should that arise, you must truly see after him as if he were your own. After things are settled, you will be asked to reside in the castle. There are…things I must handle first" Vincent said, "things" being Chaos's volatile personality and undoubtedly his response to this new revelation. He will need to ensure his "son-in-law" as humans call it, is kept alive. With that, that perpetually moving crimson fluttered again and both men were on their way through the forest away from Angeal's home.

To say that Angeal was a little shocked by Vincent's revelation was an understatement but at the same time due to who they were talking about, in the deepest recesses of his heart, he wished for a miracle even if it was a rarity.

Back across town Cloud sat on the carpet in his wolf form. This time instead of the freak out that Aerith had before she tentatively moved towards the wolf and she rubbed along the sleek white fur. Cloud had no idea how he allowed Zach to talk him into these things. They were both dead men. They were both dead men marked by their own best friend. They were dead virginal men marked by their best childhood friend, their King, Sephiroth who was also the child of a God. He didn't want to die a virgin. Something about this female stroking his fur in his form felt…good, felt safe. The dark haired one had squared off with him, willing to protect Zach despite not knowing his true strength or his intentions. He could have killed her in an instant. Yet, the fact that she was willing to stand up for his brother stayed his hand and allow her to speak her peace. Zachary had killed those wolves and he had been wounded badly which is why his blood was on the air. The one found in the square when Cloud did transform, had been put down by the girl, Ti-fa, with her fist and feet alone. She was a warrior and somehow Cloud respected her more for that as well when she protected his brother when he'd passed out. They'd brought him back, in humanoid form none the wiser that he was Fae and in him healing he'd transformed. It just so happened that the girl was from these parts and it didn't' bother her to be in the presence of a Dire wolf, let alone one three times larger than the average one.

He liked her tenacity.

It hadn't been his brother's fault he'd transformed. Why the seven hells had he revealed his form to them then? One pretty face and he was just putty in the one that wore pink's hands? This was foolish. This seriously was Zachary level-one crazy. They wanted to see their similarities outside of just their elfin looks they said. Why did he comply so easily? Something about both of the women was calming. It was more than apparent that there was more going on between Zach and Tifa-it was a type of energy that charged the air...and hormones that saturated his nose. His brother was broadcasting his want so strongly is was cloying and he wanted to slap him upside his head for his silly puppy love of this human woman. That was it was apparent it seemed that it was mutual, even if it wasn't quite as heavily perfumed in the air.

Cloud was a gentleman. He would never let her know he could deduce her emotions for his brother by his fine honed smell through his petite nostrils. So, what did that say for him and his own issues his body put up for the frail young female in pink currently stroking his white fur? She was so small and smelled of their original home-of sun and flowers, of life. Her eyes were as vivid in color as any Fae he'd ever met and it confused him just how much sway they had on him. He had been so in thrall that he had completely laid upon the carpeted floor, the girl still running her fingers through his fur and him resting his head on his front paws, eyes half-mast as he thought about how this was all wrong but so right at the same time.

Zach and Tifa's own conversation had come to a lull and they contented themselves looking over at Aerith's response to Cloud and he to her. They snickered at each other with a knowing smile. After a time, Cloud came back to himself and reverted to his elfin form, him wearing a perpetual blush for his behavior as they all talked about the best action to take now.

Zach had resolved he wanted to have Tifa meet his father, regardless of her being human. He'd beaten around the bush so to speak long enough and he was going to take this move. Aerith stated she would come for support for Tifa...and that she wanted to get to know Cloud better.

Cloud's head shot up at the implication but he didn't say one word to refute the woman. So, with that, they all decided to set out for the wolf Fae's den.


	12. Chapter 12

Sephiroth had just made it to the courtyard of the castle when young Noctis came and barreled into his legs, hugging him tightly for all it was worth. He could feel the subtle wetting from the small head rubbing against the side of his thigh and a muffled sniffle. Something in Sephiroth felt wretched to have made his younger brother worry.

"I... I thought you'd not come back anymore. You and Yaz never fight and then you went away completely. It wasn't like you to leave..." The implied "me" strained in the words, the boy said at length.

Sephiroth hated that he had worried his younger brother so but he had to sort his feelings and now that they had come full circle, all he could do now was move forward in the world with his now chosen mate proudly. He knew that Noctis would be wary at first but because he had not experienced the violence that Yazoo and himself had, he surmised that he would warm quite quickly to Angeal.

Yazoo remained the challenge that troubled his heart.

Despite it all, Sephiroth would be telling a great tale if he said he didn't miss Mahkoreed in its unique welcoming embrace of beauty, grace, and the wild. After bending to scoop up the child though he was older yet thin framed as their father, Noctis closed his eyes and smiled content as he buried his head on his brother's soft fall of hair on his broad shoulder that he rested while thin and gangly arms attempted to encompass Sephiroth's shoulders in a hug back as he was carried into the sanctum.

Sephiroth, along with Noctis in tow, visited the temple to seek out their mother. He approached the doors with sure strides once more and antlers showing his pride, Noctis gently pulling on one the side racks in pride and reflecting on his brother's sheer length of hair. With a firm push of the door, both strolled into the antechamber and the Lady Sovereign sat looking relieved and overjoyed at the appearance of both her eldest and youngest child together.

Sephiroth sat Noctis down for him to go and join their mother on her throne and she, too, lifted him to sat on her knees and embraced him within the folds of her dressing.

"I am glad to see you have returned, my firstborn. I see you have come back mated to the one I have foretold. Tell me child, where is my loyal human follower? Did he choose not to come now?" Lucrecia the fact that she had known all along. There was no malice in her words either, just pure curiosity as Sephiroth's mind and heart were opened. Though he knew a blush adorned his pale and chiseled face, he still held his grace even when the sex of his mate was freely in front of his younger sibling. Though his race held no shame about his mating he still felt like a child before his great father and mother in his choices though they didn't judge chastise.

They spoke at length of what had transpired over the past couple of months that lead up to the mating, Sephiroth own perusal of his mother showing her to be terribly pleased with the whole situation to which he only raised a white brow and smiled a crooked smirk. He left Noctis with their mother as he had to see Yazoo, had to speak with him. This had been the longest they'd not talked ever.

Sephiroth traced through the halls finding his way back to where he had left prince the last time in that angry spat. He was sparring with conjured ice elementals left and right and moving with deadly precision with Velvet Nightmare and his own bare hands as he fleeted to and fro among his made enemies.

Sephiroth stood back in the opening of the courtyard and watched his younger brother truly. He seemed to have been working hard this whole time and though he had been gone for a relatively short time, it didn't take much for the payoff of hard work to show in them…nor did neglect either. Where the once vibrant jade eyes much like his own shone beautifully, they now had a glaze to them, dulled. He had dark circles under each eye and his face looked if possible even more gaunt than before from losing precious weight that Yazoo really couldn't afford to lose, no matter how muscular he was now. He had always been a lithe body type and now he just looked ill and angry at the world.

"I see you have shown yourself again in the castle content to finally play King once more after your dalliance with your human. Oh, but it's worse than that isn't it big brother, isn't it? You've gone and mated him! How could you! What about my pain, our brother's pain in the Lifestream that calls out for vengeance even to this very day! Have you forgotten your agenda?" Yazoo finally snapped his attention to his brother knowing full well that he had been there all alone.

Though Sephiroth felt the internal string of guilt plucked, he straightened himself to his full height and walked over to Yazoo.

"Of course, I have not forgotten my precious and undeserved ruling given to me by father" Sephiroth continued carefully as if dealing with a wild animal that had been caged as that is exactly what Yazoo looked like at this moment in time. "I cannot begin to understand what and why fate moved the why it did to bind Angeal and I the way it did given our histories. Did you know our father had saw the red ribbon throughout the forest all this time… assumption finally gave way to genuine curiosity to see that it would be a human that would be destined to be my chosen lover? For that matter, Mother had saw it all well before father's own piqued interest had won over. If anything, I wish I could be upset that I didn't have the foresight that they both did… the understanding for why me!" he growled out as he was upon Yazoo forgetting his own peaceable approach, something inside him stirred just as much at Yazoo's accusations that he had somehow forgotten about his brother's needless sacrifice and that he dares compare the kind soul that was Angeal to those mongrels.

Yazoo did not cower but he did back away feeling his brothers power nipping at his skin and he answered in kind though his was hampered because he had been abusing his body by forgoing eating to train day in and day out and sleeping less and less because the visions became bleaker and bleaker. It wasn't that he was overly averse to Sephiroth's mating to Angeal. The human would become more than what he was purely based on the power that was Sephiroth and it would be instantly apparent… but he wouldn't be insusceptible to death and that above all else is what Yazoo feared… and trained for. He prepared for the day he would have to take his own brother down in his guilt stricken heart… that it would break his mind as well.

Sephiroth truly had no idea just how in tune to his mate he really was, how intertwined they were.

Sephiroth looked head on into those lifeless eyes once more and it was as if he saw those thoughts or a whisper of them and it caused him to flinch back instinctively as if a great chill went down his spine. He forced himself to stare down Yazoo because he knew there was more to it that what Yazoo was saying.

"I care for you more than you will ever know as the second eldest brother and as my confidant. I need you now and always though I am not very verbal about my feelings. We will go through this- "and before Yazoo could make a snide remark to try to deflect his own feelings that resonated his brother's, Sephiroth continued.

"In three days, will spar and this issue will be settled. You have been in neglect of your body and mind as I know you have neither eat nor slept. I should go directly to father and mother with this but we are not children anymore and as such I will not seek their mediation. As your King and as a concerned brother he omitted, I have decreed you to rest and seek nourishment. We will reconvene and we will allow our swords to meet. Only then will I allow us to engage in battle.

Yazoo seethed.

He didn't need his permission to make such inane things as sleeping and eating. He didn't need his brother being calm about all of this when he jerked up after a short period after dozing in a blind panic that gripped him so thoroughly that sometimes he would vomit and sometimes he would. He didn't need Sephiroth to not know what was going on in his mind…for him to know the pitfalls that awaited them all. He needed his brother, no, his King ready for what was on the horizon. He would concede for now but it was his turn to have to speak with their mother, to see if she felt the disquiet as acutely as he did and hid it under the false smile she tended to wear more and more these days.

Yazoo glared at Sephiroth, teeth and fist clenched tightly around the hilt of his weapon to which he sheathed and with a grunt of acknowledgement, he pushed past Sephiroth though the area was spacious.

Sephiroth simply stood his ground though he knew there was more bothering Yazoo. Something dark was on the horizon and he hoped in that three days, maybe his brother would be more open.

He felt so weary. He wanted, no needed to see Angeal after just this much and with that thought on his mind, he retired to his own grand bedroom.

As soon as the two doors were firmly shut, Sephiroth waved his hand and like ether on the wind, his clothing melted from his opalescent skin that gleamed in the light of the setting sunlight that peaked through the boroughs of the trees that met high along the ceiling above. His hair laid smooth along his back and buttocks as he held his eyes closed and leaned into the aged and smooth wood of the doors behind him. He would bathe and then he would rest though his heart yearned to be close to Angeal. He sorely wished the man would come to him soon and not make him wait.

With a flourish of movement, Sephiroth swept through the main chamber into the personal hot springs that served as his own bathhouse. Upon reaching the entrance, Sephiroth froze at the sight before him.

Angeal rested his shoulders and arms against the back of the spring with his eyes closed, his broad chest rhythmically moving in a pattern conducive to sleeping.

Sephiroth's eyes were filled with happiness and he felt the smile speed across his porcelain face as Angeal had abruptly stopped his deep humming of some beautiful melody that reached Sephiroth's ears clearly. He'd blushed but smiled so tenderly at seeing the other man.

Sephiroth quickly dispel his clothing into ether, eagerly joining the bulkier man in the spring, quickly swimming in front of Angeal. On reaching him he began carding his one hand through the man's hair while his other rested on a firm shoulder just above the surface.

Sephiroth looked over him in such love and relief, cocking his head to the side and silvery hair skimmed the surface. This man, this human male, grounded him. He didn't know how they became this way but he just couldn't change his feelings nor would he lose Yazoo.

Sephiroth rested his forehead against Angeal's.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you that had changed my mind, that I wanted to be with you" Angeal almost whispered. "I didn't even know where my heart was leading me until I was upon a grand gate to a castle I sworn I had never saw beforehand in all these years I've dwell in the forest".

Sephiroth captured his lips briefly in a gentle kiss. "I am certain until our mating it was spelled from your eyes or any other for viewing or trying to enter. We are peaceful but do not like unwanted houseguests. I missed you and you and you must have known. I find you being here fortuitous for me" Sephiroth said.

Angeal read beginning to look…desperate. Sephiroth admitting he had wanted him to come as much as he had wanted to go to him had his hands sliding down low on Sephiroth's hips.

This earned a groan of appreciation from Sephiroth. Kisses and light touches began to become a bit more in intensity. Angeal had to have his deity.

Sephiroth had moved astride Angeal's lap along his girth, grinding it against his secret passage.

Angeal was worried about hurting Sephiroth as water was not exactly the best lubrication.

As if Sephiroth had read his mind, they'd been lifted out of the spring. There was a balm nearby that was usually used for fragrance but because of its texture, it would be used for something else for now.

Fully lubricated and after minimal preparation needed, Angeal found himself seated within Sephiroth who again was back in his lap, bracing himself by holding Angeal's shoulders.

They moved in tandem to a hard, fast tempo. Every pore within Angeal renewed and then some. He felt…different. He was no slouch before but his stamina had Sephiroth slamming his eyes closed and silently crying out, outright wailing at other times, and scratching deep furrows in his back with his nails. Angeal didn't care. Sephiroth could kill him and would be happy about now with anything. Finally, he relinquished his love deep within his beloved.

After they both had come down post coital highs, Sephiroth immediately went to heal his lovers back of his unintentional damage…only to find drying blood but otherwise unblemished skin there. He turned Angeal back to him aiding a white brow. That would be question for either one of his parents later. For now, he cleaned the blood and fluids away and with that, he took Angeal to his grand bedroom and they both lumbered into his bed and began to slumber. His last waking thought was of how Angeal's scent in his room finally made his room feel like his room in his birth castle: warm, inviting, love…home.


	13. Chapter 13

Three days had past and surprisingly Angeal went unmolested, unless you count a wild Noctis attaching to his leg a danger. He has also met the Sovereign Mother Lucrecia, fully prostrating himself before her with genuine tears of respect and honor staying unshed in his eyes. Sephiroth had lifted face with two fingers, Angeal almost having a mild heart attack, completely forgetting exactly who Sephiroth was to Lucrecia in the overwhelming moment until he focused solely on those hypnotic Lifestream colored, slit pupil eyes.

Lucrecia was terribly amused to which her son rolled his eyes at her antics. She explained the phenomenon of Angeal's healing, though they didn't go into details of how the wounds came to be. She stated it had come from the mating ad it acted as a symbiotic bond. Angeal would be stronger, faster, and his healing factor higher than any human.

Sephiroth wished it would affect the one thing that he found flitted through his subconscious more than he liked these days.

Lucrecia looked sad at her son for those thoughts that passed unfiltered in his mind. Such was the sacrifice of loving a human in the end.

Sephiroth was overall pleased with Angeal fitting in. He needed to make good on his meeting with Yazoo though and told Angeal such. Angeal decided to join him to try to weather Yazoo's ire.

Neither had been aware of the acidic eyes that had watched them from the shadows.

Sephiroth again found himself in the courtyard. Yazoo waited patiently for his brother to approach him.

"I see you've brought your…mate with you" he said with disdain.

Sephiroth frowned at the boy's attitude. He looked much better, well fed and rested, yet he still held acid I, his words that caused him to stop cold in his step, Angeal just a bit back from him. He motioned him to take a seat as he tried to male Yazoo see sense.

Yazoo rose from his seat and shook his head furiously now as he approached Sephiroth.

"You have no idea Sephiroth. While you and your pet play happy families, I am slowly losing my mind" he said voice raising all the while.

Sephiroth was confused and worried about Yazoo. He couldn't lose him too.

"What do you mean?" he asked, arms firmly crossed staring at his brother sternly, all best gone.

Yazoo laughed bitterly hard and loud then suddenly grabbed his head, wincing in pain.

Sephiroth made to go to him but Velvet Nightmare was trained on him in a heartbeat, stunning Sephiroth that he would pull his weapon on him.

In a flash, Masamune was in Sephiroth's own hands and he sensed movement.

Angeal made to come to his aid, already swiftly unholstered the Buster Sword. Sephiroth stopped his movement with a hand signal. Angeal remained vigilant nonetheless.

"Whatever Sephiroth. You said we were to spar and so we will. You've always been impulsive. It is unfortunate that that same selfish drive will soon doom us all" Yazoo said lackadaisical.

Sephiroth was beyond confused, hurt, and betrayed. Yazoo looked at him as if he was truly their enemy and it hurt. Something was wrong with him as well. He spouted nonsense. He was not threatened of his brother…he was afraid for him.

"Yazoo…please, don't do this in anger. Whatever it is, you can speak freely to me. I am not your enemy, Angeal is not your enemy. You know I would not harm my people. What is it that plagues you?" Sephiroth asked again, wondering if their mother could feel the tension.

"I told you Sephiroth, you will suffer. Your suffering will give birth to desperation and in your desperation, it will spell our demise. You will try to defy the Gods themselves. But I won't let that happen to you brother, no, I love you too much. I will end the weeds that have enter into the rose garden" Yazoo chittered in uneasy banter before bounding in a blur for Angeal.

Even before Sephiroth was to him, Angeal had easily drew up his Broadsword and blocked Yazoo's lunge.

The sheer mixture of anger and fear in those twin sets of eyes on Yazoo were exhilarating to Angeal. Angeal long knew he'd have to prove himself to the boy by sword. They took off at each other like lightning and thunder.

Sephiroth simply watched the scene. He heard his mother but to see Angeal's natural skills enhanced that he was able to push back Yazoo and effortlessly in some ways, was as refreshing as it was…arousing to Sephiroth.

Finally, he broke from his thought induced trance and parried from behind Yazoo and Angeal pressed from the front. With a knock to the temple, Yazoo was rendered useless.

Sephiroth had to get him to their mother to see what was driving his erratic pattern of speech and action.

Sephiroth carried Yazoo on his shoulder to the inner chamber before the Sovereign Mother, Angeal following closely behind. Once inside, Sephiroth laid him at their mother's feet and regaled what had happened before, including Angeal's ability to push him back.

Lucrecia looked concerned and with one hand summoned magic to lift her son and bring his prone form before her. As soon as she truly touched his mind, Yazoo let off a blood curdling scream and thrashed about, sweat beading on his forehead and him playing even more so in skin tone.

Sephiroth made for him but Angeal held him back, to which Sephiroth had growled and snarled at him and shook his hand away but he made no further movements forward though he was distressed. Sephiroth was afraid for his brother. Angeal held no malice for his action as he understood. No matter how vile, Genesis was his brother and if he was hurting, he would hurt too.

Yazoo looked now as if he would break his teeth out now they were gnashed tightly. His breathing was erratic and though Lucrecia looked calm, she struggled with her own emotions as she worked to break the dark tie deep in the boy's subconscious.

Sephiroth was beside himself.

"Mother!" he yelled to loud, too frantic. He needed to know what was going on.

Vincent had just finished forewarning (actually teasing) his own comrade of his own daughter in law's to be on the way when felt Yazoo's and Sephiroth's great distress. Never again would he fail his children. He moved like the wind and was there just as fast at the castle, stalking to the antechamber.

Just as Vincent swept into the room, Yazoo went still, Sephiroth began to panic.

Lucrecia's strength waned but Vincent caught Yazoo and laid him down slowly, caressing his head hair, like the little child he'd always be to his Father.

"He is fine now Sephiroth. Angeal…please see to your mate. He is mentally drained and needs you" Vincent said matter of fact, not glancing back as lifted up the older "teen", looking over and also checking on Lucrecia.

Sephiroth wanted to be insulted. He was no damsel. He quickly thought back to how he'd behaved at the height of his fear though, pushing Angeal away. He blushed and hung his head, unsure of where to begin to apologize.

Angeal took his hand and began to walk away from the room hand and hand.

"Sephiroth, I am not upset at you. I still love you" he said while walking ahead of the man.

Sephiroth smiled to himself at the words and again felt stupid. Only Angeal could bring that out of him.

Yazoo wasn't deceitful when he said there would be trouble on the horizon.


	14. Chapter 14

In the den of the Shinra Manor, a man with red neck length coifed hair sat in an executive's chair, long arms rested on the desk and fingers steeple in dark burgundy red leather gloves on what appeared to be a map of the Nibel Mountains.

They had finally found the last miserable forest to be cleared away and it was in no way a beautiful sight anyway. It looked to be perpetually dark and dreary and snowy even in the alleged summer months. Rufus would be so proud! Maybe he'd allow them to celebrate with a random bedfellow for the night. Backwater towns were good for them. Sometimes there were some real gems to be found in them…to be used and left and forgotten about.

As the man mused over his reward for destroying the latest natural environment, he noticed his associate slightly shift and give a great shiver after he had said he wasn't to be disturbed as he was 'meditating'.

"Are you quite alright? Flaming hair and red leather asked, not really caring for an honest answer as the other man always proved to be unnerving to him. An air of otherworldly clung to him, and the red head found that he never wanted to really delve into talking with the man more than needed.

The new associate and "his brother" were an odd sort indeed.

They had no agenda that they showed obviously but strangely knew of this last forest that they'd searched for months for. They weren't even in it for the deforestation business, money and power not swaying them a bit. The flaming haired one was no fool; they had their own agenda, they just were not willing to share it.

That was worrying to him and Rufus never heeded his warnings. People didn't just walk up and help out of the kindness of their heart…it just wasn't done.

"Oh, my little bird got away from my cage is all" the dark-haired associate said cryptically, red eyes trained on the man at the desk as he rose up to his full height ang began to turn away and walk out of the room.

The other man shuddered. He didn't know what the man's "little bird" was, but he knew it was something…strange.

"Creep… No matter "the man whispered to himself as he looked down at the map once more with a crooked grin on his mouth and pushed away from the desk to and began making preparations. The red leather clad man moved from the room in a hurry to order his wrecking crew into motion.

Nero, the associate, simply watched him go as he wore his own black leather. He stood from his own sitting position but instead of walking to the group that waited outside through the door, he conjured a dark portal and he stepped back and allowed it shroud him in the darkness; to envelope him. Once it had, the room was completely devoid of life once more.

He emerged on the edge of the forest in a dark patch away from prying eyes but alongside his brother Weiss. They watched as everything was put into place, simply turning and walking deeper into the forest.

After all, a different kind of reckoning was to begin, starting with their kin, Sephiroth. They would show it didn't matter one's pedigree, he would fall. After all he was full of weaknesses now with his human pet he called a mate. He would pay Vincent back in kind for locking him away all these centuries in his own Void. He would usurp that power back to both himself and his nephew. He would show Vincent, his true brother, how Gods were supposed to rule these foul creatures. Even his nephew of mixed race was better than these swine and he would show it.

Cid and his mate Shera had greeted the young women that had come with his son's home. He swayed his profanity to a minimum which caused the dark-haired woman to cover her mouth in a laugh though she was nervous and the other brown haired one to blush. Zach had a goofy grin on his face hoping to calm his father, he looked as Vincent said he would be: hopelessly in love and though Cloud's head was down and his cheeks burned an angry pink in embarrassment for their behavior, he too, was not that far off from his affection either as he hung close the female whether he was aware of it or not.

Vincent had stayed with Yazoo in his chambers since Lucrecia had undid the control that had driven Yazoo into his panic tirade and had him so erratic. He still had not woken. Upon speaking with his spouse, he feared he had an inkling of who could control someone so completely and also so strongly and he frowned at the thought as he caressed his son's shiny silver hair and pale cheek. Chaos was pacing the length of the courtyard. He could feel it on the air, to be fair all of the older one could.

Something was coming and they would have to be prepared for it as they were before years ago or suffer losses again. His anger still ran hot for the human that was in the castle but he feared that at this moment they would have a lot more to worry about that one meager male and the fact was to strike down Angeal was to strike at Sephiroth as they were mated. He wished no harm to his nephew as he did love and respect his Kingship but he was deeply incensed at his poor choice.

Lucrecia cried out in anguish causing Vincent, Sephiroth and Angeal, and Chaos to come to her side. She shivered and cried out even as Noctis cried for her as he had been in her embrace, her body looking as if she were in pure pain. Vincent went to her to try to console her and check her over, genuinely worried for her, causing him to become aggravated as he saw no cause. Before anyone could speak they knew why.

The forest as a whole heard the sound and knew it to be the heralding in of the new battle to come.

The sounds of bulldozers and humans with their large machines were on the move in the distance once again. At the helm of it all leading the way coming for the Nibel Forest was no other than Genesis Rhapsodos-Hewley, evil grin plastered to his face in a victory he thought won already though it was just beginning, Nero and Weiss following closely by foot as well.


End file.
